Collide
by InventingWorlds
Summary: Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series: Seregil is shocked to find himself in modern day 2010, where he bumps into modern day Alec who does not seem to know who he is.
1. Chapter 1 Realize

_Author's Note: I know Lynn Flewelling does not approve of fanfiction, so I apologise in advance. However, I'm not trying to make any money or take any credit for her fantastic work, I just can't find a lot of Nightrunner fanfic out there and thought I'd like to share stories with other fans. So, yeah. This story is set somewhere inbetween Book 3 and 4, and please take liberties with the timeline. Thanks!_

**COLLIDE**

_Chapter One_

The last thing Alec expected to see when he reached his apartment was some guy trying to pick his lock. He froze at the staircase landing, clutching his bags of groceries, blinking at the dark-haired, oddly-dressed intruder cursing under his breath as he continued to fiddle with the lock.

Very slowly, and very carefully, Alec set down his groceries and assessed the situation as calmly as he could. The guy was about the same build, so he could take him in a scuffle if it came to that. Okay. Good. Alec nodded to himself, trying to ignore how cold and clammy his hands felt. Also, the intruder was distracted, so Alec had the element of surprise on his side. Or maybe the best option was to run and alert the super, to be on the safe side.

He was still trying to think of the best way to raise the alarm when the intruder suddenly turned around and spotted him. Alec was expecting shock, anger, fear or even tears, but the last thing in the world he expected to see was the sheer delight on the intruder's face.

"Alec! Tali!" The man dashed over to where Alec was standing, beaming as though he had just struck the lottery. "Bilairy's balls, am I glad to see you!"

"Hey, whoa!" Sheer reflex made Alec take a step back, reaching into his pocket for the mace spray attached to his keys. He almost fumbled as he yanked it out, the keys jingling merrily as he waved the mace in the man's surprised face. "Get away from me!"

"Alec?" The man seemed extremely confused, as well as completely unaware what the mace was capable of. "What are you doing, tali?" He looked at Alec up and down, frowning. "What happened to your hair? Why are you wearing those clothes?"

"Wha- How do you know my name?" Alec sputtered, still refusing to relinquish his hold on the mace. It was far too confusing at the moment, and he wondered if he had time to dash to his bag and get out his cell phone.

To his surprise, the man sighed and pushed aside the mace impatiently. "Tali, we may be in grave danger here, I really don't have time to play games-"

"I am NOT playing games!" Alec yelled, and the man took a step back, looking alarmed for the first time. "Now, who the hell are you and why are you trying to break into my apartment?"

The man was holding up his hands as though in surrender, but he was watching Alec curiously. "It's me, Seregil. And I don't quite know what you mean by 'apartment'." Here, he actually looked a little pained. "You really don't remember me, tali?"

"No," Alec said firmly. "And why do you keep calling me that? What is a tali?"

This time, Seregil sighed wearily. "Damned Thero," he murmured. "Now he's gone and erased your memory as well."

Now Alec was quite certain he was dealing with a lunatic. "Who's Thero?" he demanded to know. "And I'm pretty sure I haven't lost my memory, thank you very much."

Seregil looked just as confused as he was. "Look, tali, why don't you just put down your, um, little can and we'll try to find our way out of this place? Or at least until Thero manages to translocate us again?"

"Uh huh." Alec still kept the mace aimed at Seregil's face. "And why don't I just call the police and we'll let them take care of everything?"

Seregil let out a frustrated groan, and at that point Alec would have really run to alert the super, but then a few things were nagging at his brain. Firstly, why was this guy dressed so weirdly, in medieval type clothes? Secondly, how did he know Alec's name? And thirdly, why did this guy look so familiar?

He eyed Seregil warily, taking in his long dark hair, wide grey eyes and the slender, high cheekbones that actually made him quite striking. He looked only a couple of years older than Alec himself. He had never seen this guy before, that was for sure. If he did, he would have definitely remembered. Alec shook his head. The idea of finding the guy who was trying to break into his house rather attractive was preposterous. Just how hopeless was he? He could feel the sides of his face heat up in a telltale blush.

To his surprise, Seregil offered him a crooked grin. "You're doing it again," he said, the warm affection evident in his voice.

Despite himself, Alec was curious. "Doing what?"

"Blushing." Seregil's grin widened. His grey, luminous eyes regarded Alec with a warmth that seemed very genuine. "You're always doing that."

For once, Alec was speechless. He really didn't know what to do. It was tempting to call the cops, but this man seemed so sincere and genuine that he wanted to know more about what was going on. He really seemed to know Alec. And if he was really a nutcase, it seemed inhumane to get him thrown into the slammer. He appeared rather harmless.

"Come on," Alec found himself saying. "I'll give you five minutes to make sense of the whole thing."

"Alright." Seregil seemed amused, and Alec prayed that his instinct was right, for once.

* * *

Alec was very fastidious about keeping his apartment neat and tidy, which explained the little tingle of pride when he opened the door and let Seregil in. Sure enough, the man's jaw was slack, but that probably wasn't due to the cleanliness and neatness. Instead, Seregil headed straight for the LCD TV, running a finger over the flat screen.

"What is this?" he asked, fascinated.

Alec snorted. "You've got to be kidding, right?"

Seregil seemed completely serious. "Is it some kind of mirror?"

Alec stared at him for a good minute, and when Seregil cocked an impatient eyebrow at him, he finally said, "It's a TV. A television."

Seregil ran his hands over it in awe. "What does it do? Is it like a wizard's looking glass?"

Now Alec was really lost. Not quite knowing how to answer Seregil, he picked up the remote instead and switched on the TV. A hockey game was on, but the way Seregil jumped back with alarm was priceless. He peered at the screen intensely.

"Are those people inside?" he asked, pointing at the hockey players and rabid spectators. "How did they get in there?"

Alec pressed the 'off' switch, and the sudden loss of sound and picture made Seregil take another step back. If it wasn't so confusing, it would have actually been hilarious. Was this some really bad, twisted version of 'Encino Man'?

"Okay, look." Alec was trying to get some hold on the situation at hand, and Seregil's antics weren't helping any. "You've been asking all the questions so far, so let me ask a few things, okay?"

Seregil nodded. "Fair enough." When Alec sat down on the leather sofa, Seregil absently moved to sit beside him, stretching out an arm behind Alec. At Alec's wary look, he asked, "What?"

"You, um." Alec pointed at the armchair. "Maybe you'd want to sit over there?"

"Oh." The hurt that crossed Seregil's face for a fleeting moment seemed genuine enough, and Alec actually felt a little guilty. Seregil got up and walked over to sit in the armchair. "Sorry. Force of habit." He seemed a little subdued now.

"It's alright." Alec closed his eyes. It wouldn't do to feel sorry for some nutcase who had been trying to break into his apartment. "Now, first things first. How do you know my name?"

Seregil's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Well, you're my talimenios."

"What's that?"

"A bond between two people which goes deeper than mere romantic love," Seregil explained, before sitting back with a sigh. "How on earth did Thero manage to erase your memory? You should remember all this. I thought that the spell-"

"Wait, wait." Alec gestured back and forth between Seregil and himself. "You mean, we're, um. Like, boyfriends? Lovers?"

Seregil nodded with a smile. "Yes. Actually, far, far deeper than that. That's what talimenios is."

"Uh huh." Alec frowned. "What language is that?"

Now Seregil really seemed incredulous. "Do you mean to tell me that you've forgotten all your Aurenfaie?"

Alec didn't like his tone. "For all I know, you could be making this up."

The way Seregil's gray eyes widened almost convinced him that the other man was telling the truth. Or at least believed that he was. "Making it up?" Seregil sputtered. "Making up an entire race and language? Our heritage? By the Four, what has Thero done to your brain?" He waved a hand distastefully at Alec's clothes. "Or your clothing, for that matter?"

Alec looked down at his t-shirt and jeans. "What's wrong with my clothes? You should talk! I mean, look at you! You look like you just wandered out of a casting for _Camelot_!"

Seregil was now trying to breathe deeply, massaging the crease between his eyebrows. "Alright, alright. We're not going to get anywhere like this."

"Just tell me how you got here, and why you were trying to break into my apartment," Alec said tiredly. "At least let's start there."

Taking a deep breath, Seregil's voice was flat and emotionless. "We were both called for a nightrunning assignment," he explained. "So we went to the Oreska house to see Thero, who would help to translocate us."

"What is nightrunning? And who is Thero?"

Seregil eyed Alec warily again, but nonetheless spoke. "Nightrunning is what we do. We are Watchers." At Alec's blank look, he added, "Spies, if you will. And Thero is a wizard at the Oreska House. Nysander's assistant, remember?"

Alec sat up in amazement. "You know Mr. Nysander?"

"Yes, tali, we both do," Seregil patiently explained.

"Okay." Alec sat back, frankly amazed that Seregil knew who the local librarian was. Maybe there was something weird going on after all. "Go on."

"Anyway, Thero had just learned a far more powerful translocation spell that could transport us over further distances and without so much physically draining effort from the wizards," Seregil said matter-of-factly. "So he tried it out on me first, and I was thrown into this long, black tunnel, which is odd because that has never happened to me before during a translocation spell." He shrugged. "And I guess you got caught along as well. And lost your memory in the process."

Alec was trying to let it all sink in, but it was too much. Most of the time, he was pretty sure he was talking to a stark raving madman who lived in his own fantasy world, but the revelation that Seregil knew Mr. Nysander was a pretty big jolt. Also, Seregil knew his name. And his annoying habit of blushing. These were some indications of intimacy that were pretty hard to fake.

"Okay, for the sake of argument, let's just say that I lost my memory," Alec said, trying to ignore the look of relief on Seregil's face. "So what happened next?"

"Well, when I opened my eyes, I was crouching in this strange corridor full of doors," Seregil said. "So many doors, and all with strange numbers on them. I was sure that it was some kind of code, so I started trying to crack the codes. When I couldn't, I decided to pick one of the locks to see what were behind these mysterious doors." Seregil smiled at him. "And that was when you showed up, tali."

Alec frowned as he leaned back against the sofa. While Seregil's story was incredible and frankly quite fascinating, he did seem like he was truly from another world. His clothes, manner of speaking and reaction to the TV pretty much confirmed all that. The idea that Seregil was a wandering madman was slowly fading into the background. He looked too clean and well-fed for that.

The man in question was now poised on the edge of the armchair, looking straight at Alec, nothing but warmth and affection in his eyes. It was clear to Alec that Seregil believed they had some special relationship, and he couldn't quite deny the pull he felt towards Seregil, the fact that he found the man extremely familiar, even if he had never seen him before.

"Okay," he finally said. "I really don't know what's going on here. But you obviously are very far from home, and you seem to know me somehow. And Mr. Nysander. So I'm not going to call the police about you trying to break into my apartment."

"Alright." Seregil's face was a perfect blank, but Alec could not help but detect a hint of amusement in the man's clear grey eyes. "Thank you for that. I think."

"No problem." Alec was finding it hard to decide what to do next. The sane thing to do would be to gently but firmly show this guy out of his apartment and be done with him, but Alec was intrigued. After all, this sounded like one of those fantastical tales that Mr. Nysander was always telling him. "Next thing we should do, I think, is turn in for the night. It's getting late. Then tomorrow, we'll go see Mr. Nysander and see if he can't shed some light on this."

Alec was completely unprepared for Seregil's reaction, in which he went pale and his lip started trembling. "Are you saying...Nysander is alive?" Seregil's voice was barely a whisper.

"Yes, of course," Alec said. "He stays very near the library. We'll go see him tomorrow."

Despite the bizzare events of the evening so far, Alec was even more stunned when tears started rolling down Seregil's cheeks. The man turned away, his shoulders shaking with sobs, and Alec immediately jumped to his feet, wanting to go over, but not quite daring to. "What's wrong?"

"N-n-nysander," Seregil choked out, and it only took a few more seconds for the remaining frozen shards in Alec's cool demeanor to melt before he finally relented, going over and wrapping an arm around the man, patting him on the back consolingly.

Alec shook his head with a sigh. _What the hell have I just gotten myself into?_


	2. Chapter 2 The Little Things

_Chapter Two_

Seregil wasn't used to the lumpiness of the thing called the 'sofa', but there was only one bedchamber in the apartment and this new version of Alec seemed quite insistent that they not share a bed. For a terrifying moment, Seregil had almost been sure that 'Alec' would have kicked him out, but the whole business with Nysander seemed to have softened him a little, and as a result, Seregil was here on the 'sofa', uncomfortable and extremely Alec-less.

He tried going over the events of the evening in his mind again, just in case he had missed out some important part of the puzzle. At the time when Thero had been casting his spell, Seregil had been the only one he had focused on, so it didn't make sense why Alec would get pulled along into the spell. Also, how had he lost his memory? And why was he so familiar in this strange new world?

Seregil was starting to have the sinking feeling that this new 'Alec' seemed to belong in this world. He seemed to know his place and all the funny gadgetry that Seregil had never laid eyes on before, and he owned the so-called apartment that Seregil had been trying to break into. He even knew Nysander, although he referred to him as 'Mr. Nysander.' Tears burned behind Seregil's eyelids at the thought of Nysander being alive, although he reminded himself that it could be a false alarm.

Strangest still was this new version of Alec, with short hair and odd clothes and a brusque, stand-offish demeanour that hurt Seregil more than he had let on. Even worse was the fact that he seemed completely unaware of their talimenios bond, and how he treated Seregil like a virtual stranger. Even when they had first met in Asengai's dungeon, Alec had not treated him as coldly as this. This wasn't his Alec, despite the identical physical appearance.

Seregil frowned. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. And find his way home, of course, back to his 'real' Alec, his talimenios.

* * *

The next morning, Seregil was awakened by a loud, shrill ringing noise that made him jump up and almost fall off the couch. Blinking blearily, he looked around for the source of that annoying ringing, but it seemed to come from inside Alec's bedchamber. Groaning, he grabbed a cushion and stuffed his head under it to block out the horrid noise. Thankfully it stopped after a while. He peeked out at the windows, and the light basically told him it was just past dawn. So this new Alec liked to get up early as well.

He was struck by a pang at the thought of Alec, wishing that they were in bed together and he could wake up to the sight of Alec's laughing blue eyes. Sure, 'Alec' was here, right in the next room, but it was entirely different. It felt like he was watching Alec through a thick glass wall, and they could not hear or see each other. It was completely frustrating and Seregil wished with all his heart that he was back in Rhiminee with Alec and Micum and, yes, even Thero.

He fell back into a listless sleep, populated with snatches of dreams where he was running down a very long black tunnel, and there was no light and he seemed to never be able to get out. But through it all, he heard Alec's voice, telling him to stay safe, tali, and they would be together again. When he opened his eyes again he looked around hopefully, but to no avail. He was still in this strange, confusing world.

Then Alec (or Not-Alec, as Seregil had unwittingly christened him) was in front of him, smiling and holding a plate of what looked like oat cakes. "Breakfast?"

Seregil wanted to be moody, but he couldn't help a smile tugging up the corners of his mouth. It was hard not to have his heart lifted at the sight of Alec and breakfast together. "Alright."

* * *

Breakfast was eaten in silence, or at least on Not-Alec's part. Seregil sometimes forgot himself and teased Alec in their usual way, but the blank looks only served to remind him that this was not his talimenios and their shared history meant nothing here. Soon Seregil resigned himself to the dull silence, wondering if Not-Alec had changed his mind about helping him. At the very least, Seregil wanted to see Nysander, even if he turned out to be some bizarre alternate version much like Not-Alec.

"We'll go see Mr. Nysander at the library after breakfast," Alec promised. "Before we go, do you want to get a shower first or something?"

Seregil lifted an eyebrow. "What's a 'shower'?"

Alec was trying not to smile. "Maybe you don't have showers, where you come from. A bath?"

"Ah." Already Seregil's spirits were lifted at the thought of a hot, cleansing bath, the lovely warm water tinged with rich, luxuriant oils. "Yes, I would like that very much."

After they cleared the plates, Alec took him inside the bedroom, where Seregil tried not to stare longingly at the bed and follow his host instead. They arrived at a tiny cubicle, which had some sort of glass door, as well as an odd circular funnel with several holes in it, sticking out of the wall. Seregil looked around expectantly.

"So is this where we prepare for the bath?"

Alec blinked at him. "This _is _the bath. Or shower, if you will." Seeing Seregil's incredulous look, he turned and tugged down a handle that was attached to the wall. Water in long droplets flowed out of the circular funnel, and Seregil stepped back with a grunt.

"Bilairy's balls, what was that?" he asked, wondering whether he may have been a victim of a prank.

"This is the shower. Where you wash up," Alec said patiently. "I'll leave you to it. I guess it'll take some getting used to."

"No bathtub?" The dismay must have been palpable on Seregil's face, for Alec was trying not to laugh.

"Sorry, no. All the best of luck."

Seregil was left alone in the 'bathroom', staring glumly around the tiny cubicle. "Luck in the shadows to you, too," he murmured, mostly to himself.

* * *

Seregil had somehow managed to get himself clean by standing under the outpour of water, but the location of the soap was a mystery. Instead, there were just bottles and bottles of various liquids perched on the shelves, and Seregil had no clue what they contained. He gave them a disdainful sniff and just settled for being wet and clean enough. He would ask Alec for the soap another time.

When he stepped out, he saw that Alec had laid out a towel and some odd new clothes for him; his own were gone. Grumbling, Seregil held out in front of him what looked like a blouse with no buttons, and some dark blue breeches that had no laces at all. He was puzzled. How was he going to do this?

He had only managed to slide his legs into the odd-looking breeches when he heard Alec yell from outside, "You okay in there?"

"Um." Seregil heaved and pushed and shoved, but to no avail. The breeches refused to co-operate. "I think so."

"Need some help?"

Seregil was so used to Alec being around while he dressed (and undressed) that he didn't even think twice about yelling back, "By all means!"

The door opened and Alec stepped in, and Seregil was surprised to see two red spots rising in Alec's cheeks, tainting them with a familiar blush. "What's wrong, tali?"

Alec gestured towards his undone breeches. "I didn't think- I thought you already had your jeans on. Or at least your undies."

Seregil stared at him. "My _what_ and my _what_?"

Alec heaved a long suffering sigh and went over to where Seregil was standing, helping to pull off the dark breeches. "These are called jeans. It's easier to wear than whatever it was you had on earlier."

Seregil did his best to look dignified. "They're called breeches." An idea occurred to him. "Can I have my old clothes back?"

Alec gave him an apologetic glance. "I just threw them into the laundry, you can have them back tonight when the dryer is done."

"Alright." Seregil wasn't going to ask what a laundry or dryer was; he just didn't want to be naked anymore. "So, how do I-"

"Oh, right." Alec flushed again, bending down to help Seregil into the 'jeans', and Seregil smiled down fondly at the familiar sight of the blond head kneeling down in front of him. To his horror, his body liked the sight too and he could feel himself begin to harden.

"Er, I think I'll be fine with these," he said hurriedly, grabbing the garment from a confused Alec. "Just tell me how to close them up and I'll be fine."

"O-kay..." Alec quirked an eyebrow at him before turning and picking up the odd-shaped blouse. Once Seregil had managed to put on the 'undies' and the 'jeans', Alec stepped forward, his face redder than ever as he reached forward tentatively, hand hovering near Seregil's groin before he took something that looked like a small, metal tip and pushed it up, effectively 'lacing' up the breeches. Seregil couldn't help but keep heated eyes on him, remembering the many times Alec had stood this close to him, unlacing his breeches, dark blue eyes locked on his, full of desire.

"...and it's called a zip," he heard Alec saying, and he nodded dumbly, not trusting himself to reach out and grab Alec for a kiss. _This is not your Alec. This is not your Alec._

Seregil took a deep breath and mentally counted to three. He could do this. "So how do I put this on?" He gestured towards the blouse that Alec was holding.

"Hold out your hands." Seregil obeyed, and Alec slid them through the armholes, then pulled the blouse down so that Seregil's head popped through the top hole. Alec smiled as he helped to release some of Seregil's hair. "You look nice."

"Thank you, tali." Seregil cursed himself again for forgetting, but it was so easy to lapse back into their little routines. It really _was_ Alec standing there in front of him, just without the personality. He sighed.

Alec was regarding him with those cool blue eyes, their usual warmth and love missing. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I am." Seregil felt proud of himself for sounding much more convinced that he actually felt. "Lead the way to Nysander's, then."

* * *

Seregil was alarmed the moment they stepped out of the building. Rectangular, metal machines with wheels dominated the street, and he had to gape. How were they moving without being pulled by horses or any other animals? He tried asking Alec questions, but the boy waved him away with, "It's a very long story." So Seregil settled for gaping and staring at the machines, all of which had people in them.

"Illior's fingers! What are they called?"

"Cars." Alec was walking briskly, looking around and taking Seregil gently by the arm. "They're transport. How people get from place to place."

"No horses?"

"No." Surprisingly, Alec smiled. "Although it would be nice to ride one."

Seregil turned to look at him. "Back in our- my world, you have one. Her name is Patch."

"Good, solid name." Alec almost looked wistful.

"A rascal if I ever did see one. Loves to chew leather and irritate you."

Alec shrugged. "Your world's starting to sound better and better."

"And how's that?"

"Never mind."

Seregil took Alec's silence as an indication that he didn't want to talk anymore, so he busied himself with gawking at the very strange sights and sounds. Every now and then, one of the machines would beep or sound a loud horn. Everywhere, people were walking and talking. At first, Seregil thought they were talking to themselves, but he spied a palm-sized rectangular object that they were pressing against their ears.

"Who are these people talking to?" he asked.

"Friends, family, I suppose." Alec took out his own, passing it to Seregil. "It's called a cell phone. It lets you make phone calls. In other words, you can talk to others over long distances."

"How convenient!" Seregil cried, and Alec was smiling again. "Sure beats sending a messenger. Or the wizards would use a message sphere."

"Sometimes I don't think a cell phone is so convenient. It's the loss of privacy." Alec seemed rueful, and Seregil couldn't help but give him a grin.

"Come now! Usually, I'm the moody one and you're the one trying to cheer me up." Seregil patted the boy's arm. "Now, walk with me while I gawk and try not to bang into things."

Alec was grinning widely now. "Let's show you what a train looks like."

* * *

They managed to reach the library in one piece, although Seregil felt completely mind-boggled by then. So many things about this world was startling and frightening, although he had to admit that some things like the 'cell phone' and 'car' had their uses. They were probably powered by magic, so his world and this new one didn't seem so different.

Still, all thoughts of this new world and its weird gadgets were chased from his mind the moment they stepped into the library, and Seregil found his hands cold and sweaty. And shaking. He was going to see Nysander again. _Nysander._ He hoped and prayed that it was the correct one.

"You alright?" Alec's dark blue eyes were full of concern, and for the first time, Seregil let himself forget where he was.

"I'm fine, tali." He took a deep breath. "Now let's go meet Nysander."


	3. Chapter 3 Tied Down

_Chapter Three_

Alec was wondering what Nysander's reaction would be. Nothing much seemed to faze the old man, so there was a good chance that he would find nothing _that_ odd or shocking about Seregil's predicament. Buried in books most of the time, Nysander was always regaling Alec with all kinds of fantastical tales, and what happened to Seregil seemed to fit right into that category.

As they arrived at the front desk, Alec pressed the bell with a loud 'ding!', and an elderly, sprightly woman with a long braid down her back emerged from the office. Alec had only met her a few times before, but he knew who she was. He grinned at her. "Hi, Maggie. How's everything?"

Even after all the strange events that had happened so far, Alec was completely unprepared for what came next.

Seregil was gawking at Maggie, his gray eyes wide with shock. "Magyana!"

Maggie gave him a confused glance before turning to Alec with a raised eyebrow. "Who is this, my dear?"

"This is my friend, Seregil." Alec decided to keep it short and simple for now. Explanations could wait. "He's from, uh, out of town."

Maggie was staring at Seregil, fascinated. "How does he know my name? I mean, my real name?" She laid a motherly hand on his arm. "No one's called me that since I was a child, you know? Even Alec doesn't know it."

Seregil seemed to be still stunned. "I think- It's kind of hard to explain." He looked desperately at Alec, who got the hint.

"Maggie, we're here to see Nysander. Is he in today?" he asked politely.

Maggie seemed as though she still hadn't gotten over the confusion. "Oh, yes he is. Let me go and fetch him." She gave Seregil one last puzzled look before heading back inside the office.

As they waited for Nysander, Alec couldn't help giving Seregil an amazed grin. "How did you know that? Seriously? Even _I_ didn't know her real name."

Seregil shook his head. "Magyana is from my world." He almost seemed disappointed that Alec still wasn't convinced about his story. "I suppose you think I'm crazy."

"No-" Alec began, but they were interrupted as a familiar figure emerged from the office.

"What's all the ruckus about, my dear boy?" Nysander said cheerfully. He was dressed simply as always in a grey shirt and brown slacks, and behind his rimless glasses were the most intelligent eyes Alec had ever seen. Nysander reached out and clasped Alec's shoulder in greeting, then his gaze fell on Seregil, and he cocked his head quizzically. "And who is our new visitor?"

Seregil was now staring at Nysander as though he had just landed in a spaceship. Alec nudged him, and Seregil seemed to swallow before offering Nysander his shaking hand. "I'm- My name is Seregil." His voice was barely a whisper.

"Lovely to meet a friend of Alec's anytime," Nysander said, and it took only a second for Seregil to completely lose it, pressing a hand to his eyes and wiping his tears away. Nysander started in concern, laying a hand on his arm. "Are you alright, my lad?"

"J-just..." Seregil shook his head before burying his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking with sobs. "I'm so sorry, so so sorry..." His voice came out muffled.

"Mr. Nysander, I think we'd better talk in your office," Alec said urgently, putting an arm around Seregil to shield him from the curious stares of the other people in the library.

"Of course, of course." Nysander was frowning as he led the way to his office. "Maggie, could you please get us some tea, perhaps?"

"Sure, my dear."

* * *

The story came out a lot more awkwardly than Alec expected, even though he had been mentally rehearsing what he had been planning to say all morning. Nysander didn't interrupt; he simply nodded at the appropriate points in Alec's story and glanced at the red-eyed Seregil every now and then. Maggie brought in four mugs of steaming hot tea, and Alec found some solace in the sweet chamomile aroma as he sipped his own cup.

"So that's why I brought him here to see you." Alec lifted his shoulder in a shrug, setting his mug down. "Because Seregil says he knows you from his world."

Nysander fixed his kindly gaze on Seregil. "You know me?"

Seregil nodded, his own mug untouched. He seemed barely aware of his surroundings, too focused on Nysander, staring at him with wonder and awe. He also seemed slightly ashamed of his earlier outburst. "You were like a father to me," he murmured.

Nysander had sharp ears. "'Were'?"

Seregil turned away. "You died." His voice was now almost too soft. "You asked me to kill you."

The gasp was out before Alec could stop it. "Why did you?"

"Alec." Nysander threw him a sharp look, and Alec blushed again. Across the desk, Maggie was on the edge of her seat, staring at Seregil curiously.

Seregil took a long, shuddering sigh before he spoke. "There was this old prophecy. Nysander was the Guardian, another friend was the Vanguard, Alec was the Shaft and I was the Guide." He paused, then seemed to be encouraged by Nysander's nods and Alec's rapt attention. "We were supposed to come together to stop this terrible evil, the Eater Of Death, from taking over the world. And in order to do that..." Here, Seregil closed his eyes. "Nysander had to sacrifice himself, for the good of the world. And he asked me to be the one to kill him."

"Oh my," Maggie whispered, and Alec found himself wanting to give Seregil a hug. Instead, he settled for placing his hand over Seregil's, who squeezed it in return.

Nysander seemed deep in thought. "It must have been the most difficult thing to do," he said gently.

Seregil nodded. "It almost killed me. I wanted to leave Rhiminee and slink off somewhere to die. But then, Alec..." He turned to him, giving him a grateful smile. "Alec saved me."

Now Alec was beginning to see why Seregil loved the other Alec so much. He looked down at their joined hands, not wanting to let go, but feeling uncomfortable because no matter what, _he_ wasn't the real object of Seregil's affections.

"I think..." Nysander gave Alec a meaningful look, then smiled at Seregil. "...that our new friend should get some fresh air. Maggie, why don't you show him around our garden and the goldfish pond? That might cheer him up."

"Sounds like a wonderful idea." Maggie came over and tugged Seregil up before he could protest, and he left the room with a quiet sniffle. Now it was only Nysander and Alec in the office, and Alec was pretty sure that had been a diversion so that Nysander could discuss things with him.

"What do you think?" he asked nervously, and Nysander looked extremely thoughtful, playing with a pencil on his book-covered desk.

"Well, it's not every day you meet a stranger who tells you that they killed you in another life," Nysander said with a small smile.

"Do you believe his story? About being from another world and all that? Or do you think he's just..." Alec trailed off, circling a finger around his temple.

"He certainly doesn't look crazy," Nysander said. "At the least, he's not lying. He looks like he believes in what he's saying. So at the most, he may be delusional."

"Do you think he is?"

"I don't know," Nysander admitted. "I'm tempted to believe his story. And the fact that he knows Maggie's birth name is very impressive. So his story is looking better and better to me."

Alec ran his hands through his hair, perplexed. "So what should we do now?"

Nysander tapped his chin. "Let me think over it for a few days," he said at last. "Let me come up with a few theories. In the meantime, Maggie and I would be delighted to take him in-"

"It's alright, he can stay with me," Alec said. And he was surprised to find that he meant it.

Nysander only smiled. "Good. I thought that you might have been too used to being on your own-"

"Oh no, it's fine," Alec said hurriedly. "Thanks again, Mr. Nysander. It's all been too confusing for me."

"I see." Nysander looked at him closely. "Just be careful, my dear boy."

Alec was slightly miffed. "I won't hurt him."

"I was referring to you."

* * *

After Maggie and Seregil returned from their walk, Alec was glad to see that his friend seemed to be in better spirits and a bit of colour had returned to his face. They said their goodbyes to Nysander and Maggie, who both had to get back to work, then Seregil surprised them all by stepping forward and hugging both of them tightly. Nysander was surprised, but quickly returned the hug with a smile.

"It's alright," Alec heard him murmur, and Seregil turned away quickly so that they couldn't see his face.

After a round of farewells, Alec was wondering what Seregil would want to do now that they were free. He still seemed sombre, not even distracted by the various cars on the road, deeply lost in thought. Alec gave him a slight nudge. "You okay?"

Seregil nodded. "I'll be fine." He offered Alec a wan smile. "Thanks for taking me to see them."

Alec shrugged it off. "I didn't know that you knew Mrs. Nysander," he said sheepishly. "Even I didn't know her real name."

"And I didn't know you called her Maggie." Seregil's smile seemed genuine now. "So we're even."

Alec chuckled. "I wonder who else you know." He decided to try a few of his friend's names. "What about Gavin? Melinda?"

Seregil shook his head. "What strange names," he remarked.

"Well, Seregil's a pretty strange name around here. I've never heard it before."

"It's Aurenfaie." Seregil's smile grew sober. "I keep wondering why is it that since you know Nysander and Magyana, that you haven't met the other version of me yet?"

Alec shrugged. "Maybe there isn't one." The thought was rather depressing.

"That would be sad."

"Yeah." Alec was far more disturbed by the realisation that he was starting to let Seregil get to him. He had known the man for less than a day, and already he was letting a mere stranger affect him so much. Still, why did it feel like he had known Seregil forever? He spared the man a sideways glance. The wind was blowing at his dark hair, sending it tumbling over his forehead and Seregil absently brushed it back. Two women who were walking past them took a second look, then giggled to themselves. Seregil hardly even noticed them.

Alec didn't blame the women. Seregil was extremely handsome, and if they had met under any other circumstances, Alec might have done something about it. Still, their situation was strange enough as it was without anything else coming into the picture.

Alec decided a good diversion was in order. "You know what would cheer us up?"

"What?"

"A huge bowl of ice-cream."

Seregil cocked a quizzical eyebrow at him. "What's that?"

"Oh, I believe you'll like this one."

* * *

It took only a few minutes for Alec to steer Seregil to his favourite ice-cream parlour, and he enjoyed the outright amazement on Seregil's face at the huge tubs of ice-cream in a dazzling array of flavours. After they had settled on chocolate and peanut butter sundaes, Alec watched Seregil take his very first spoonful, and laughed as the other man's face melted in utter bliss.

"This is...divine." Seregil licked the spoon shamelessly, then dived in for more. "I've got to get the wizards to try and make this."

"It's fairly easy to make," Alec told him. "Just mix sugar, eggs, cream and a flavour like vanilla. Then whip it until it's good and creamy, then freeze it."

"How?" Seregil asked. "Can we only do this in Sarisin or Dostin?"

"What's Sarisin and Dostin?"

Seregil rolled his eyes. "The colder months, of course."

"Oh." Alec blinked. "We call our months by different names."

"Really? Like how?"

Alec went to borrow a table calendar from the ice-cream parlour staff, then explained to Seregil about the different months. It seemed odd to have to explain everything to someone, even something as basic as the name of the months, but Alec found that he was enjoying Seregil's company. It was a break in his usual dull routine.

"So how did you come to know Nysander and Magyana?" Seregil asked, digging out the last remnants of fudge from the bottom of his glass.

"Mr. Nysander was a good friend of my father's." Alec looked down at his hands. "I grew closer to him after my father's death last year. I guess he was sort of like a surrogate father for me."

"Me too," Seregil said, much to Alec's surprise. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you don't know anything about me. I mean, it's not that my father died or anything. I lost him. When I was exiled."

"You were exiled?" Alec was fascinated. To him, these things seemed to happen only in countries like Myanmar or China.

Seregil sighed. "Long story. I'll tell you another time." He put down his spoon. "You're right, I _do_ feel better after this ice-cream thing."

Alec sensed that Seregil was deliberately being evasive, but he knew better than to press things. "The sooner you admit I'm right about everything, the easier off we will all be."

Seregil laughed. "So what do you do?"

"Me? I'm a student at the Oldtown University," Alec explained. "Right now, I'm on summer break. Sometimes, I help out at this bar where my friend works. But those are usually nights." He glanced at his watch. "I actually have a shift tonight. You can come along, if you like. Or you can stay in, I don't mind."

"I'll come along." Seregil shrugged. "It's not like I have anything else to do anyway."

"You could always spend time with Nysander and Maggie."

Seregil shook his head. "To tell you the truth, it was hard seeing Nysander today," he said softly. "It was beyond awful, after his death, and it took a long time for me to come to terms with it. Even then, it was only because you-" Seregil paused, then continued. "-because Alec helped me get through it by slapping some sense into me."

Alec kept his eyes carefully on his own sundae glass. "He must be a great guy."

"He is."

There was only silence. Somehow, their earlier camaraderie was gone, replaced by a vague sense of uneasiness that was hanging between them like an unwelcome visitor. Instead, it seemed to remind Alec of just how lonely he was, especially after his father had died and he had shut himself off from most of his friends. Seregil's presence was a stark reminder that things were not going great for his love life either, and Alec was starting to get sick of the permeating loneliness that seemed to hang around him constantly.

"You know," he said a little too brightly, and Seregil looked up. "I really should spend the rest of the day taking you around Oldtown. What do you think? Then we can grab some dinner before I start work."

"Sounds like a great idea." At least Seregil was smiling again, and Alec found himself slightly warmed by it.

They didn't mention Nysander again for the rest of the day.


	4. Chapter 4 Feelings Show

_Chapter Four_

Seregil frowned at himself in the mirror, running a critical eye over the strange outfit that Alec had picked out for him: a black shirt, those 'jeans' again and a leather jacket. He supposed he looked alright, but there were more important things on his mind. To be honest, Seregil still wasn't sure what Alec did for a living. He had said that he was a student at some university, so he assumed that Alec was an apprentice of some kind. He had also said that he worked nights at a bar, so Seregil was guessing that this was some kind of tavern. Maybe they had bards and minstrels here too? Seregil found that he wouldn't mind taking the stage with a lyre for a few songs, if Alec asked him to. At least it would remind him of home.

_Home._ Seregil closed his eyes and took a deep breath, warning himself not to get overwhelmed with emotion again. Still, he couldn't help but wonder. What was the real Alec doing right now? Was he worried about Seregil? Was Thero trying to translocate him back to Rhiminee?

He heard a sharp intake of breath at the door, and turned to find Alec staring at him with wide eyes. "What's the matter?" Seregil looked down at his clothes with dismay. "I look strange, don't I?"

"No." Alec was shaking his head slowly, and he seemed as though he was debating whether to tell Seregil something. "You look...nice. Really nice. That's all."

"Oh." Seregil was suspicious, but decided to let the matter go. He ran a hand through his hair. "Thanks. I think. I guess I'm just not used to these clothes."

"Yeah I know. But if you wear your old clothes, you'll attract quite a lot of attention at the bar tonight." Then Alec added something under his breath, "Not that you won't already..."

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Nothing, nothing." Alec smiled hurriedly. "I'll just go grab my work stuff, then we'll head out."

"Sounds good." Once Alec left, Seregil turned back to the mirror and examined his appearance one last time. Not too shabby, as his Alec was fond of saying, usually right before he would rip Seregil's clothes off. Seregil smiled sadly at his reflection. How could he miss Alec so much when he was right next door?

This was too painful to think about.

* * *

Seregil had rarely ever been in a situation where he had not been able to escape from, or at least try to wriggle his way free somehow. This was the worst situation by far, even worse than the time Nysander had translocated him to the Ashek mountains. At least he had known what he was supposed to do there, and where he was supposed to go. This time, he was entirely helpless in a world that seemed to be the complete opposite from his own.

Still, he supposed that it was comforting enough that there were people in this world from his own, even if they didn't know who he was or what their ties were. The worst was Alec, of course, who went around oblivious to Seregil's longing and affection. It didn't help that Seregil kept telling himself that this Alec and _his_ Alec were entirely different people. At the ice-cream parlour, he had forgotten himself and made that slip, and the pain in Alec's dark blue eyes had not gone unnoticed. He could not afford to make that mistake again.

The tavern where Alec worked was quite a distance from his apartment, but the walk there seemed pleasant enough because Alec was in good spirits and was chatting about a myriad of subjects that kept Seregil amused and intrigued. He interrupted every now and then with a question, but otherwise marvelled at the slow change in the boy, who had grown from being quiet and distant to being friendlier and warmer with Seregil. This was more like the Alec he knew.

Seregil could tell when they had reached their destination, as loud music was booming from inside the tavern. There was a bald, burly man standing outside, looking formidable with his arms crossed. Still, Seregil wasn't impressed; he had taken down Plenimaran louts twice the size of this one. The man nodded at Alec, then gruffly tipped his chin at Seregil. "Who's this?"

"This is my friend, Seregil. Seregil, this is Barney, one of the bouncers," Alec said by way of introduction. Barney didn't extend a hand, but nodded warily at Seregil, who did the same. With a sigh of relief, he followed Alec inside, greeted by the sounds of loud laughter and chatter, and the clink of mugs.

The tavern was a cosy, warm place, though quite unlike any taverns Seregil had ever seen in his lifetime. People were sitting in booths or around tables, talking loudly over the music. There was a raised bar at the right side of the tavern, where several people were gathered around, calling out their orders for drinks. Behind the bar, Seregil could see a flash of red hair, which he thought looked vaguely familiar, but he was distracted by the stage at the front of the tavern.

The stage was currently empty, except for a lonely set of drums and a few stands. Mystified, Seregil wondered where the harps, lyres or flutes were kept. Better yet, where was the noisy music coming from, if there was no one on stage?

"Come on." Alec tugged his arm. "I'll go clock in, then I'll show you around a bit. My friend's already started her shift."

"Alright." Seregil felt rather overwhelmed, but was determined not to show it. He could feel the eyes of some women already on him, and he tipped a wink at one of them, who blushed. Better to try and fit in, he thought, and not attract any attention to himself.

Waiting outside as Alec went into the office, Seregil saw that the crowd around the bar had grown dramatically and the men in particular were grinning and wolf-whistling. Curious to see what the commotion was about, Seregil craned his neck for a better look. He spotted bottles skilfully flying in the air, then being caught by a pair of deft feminine hands. This was an extremely talented tavern mistress, whoever she was. The crowd let out a series of 'wows' again as more tricks were performed, then there was scattered applause. Seregil saw a few men waving pieces of paper in the air, presumably for tips.

When Alec emerged, looking smart in a white shirt and black 'jeans', Seregil let out a low, appreciative whistle. "You look good." The words were out before he could stop them.

"Oh." Alec's face turned a familiar crimson. "Thanks. Just what I always wear for work."

Seregil tried to change the subject. "So what's going on at the drinks area? There seems to be quite a commotion."

"Oh, that's just Beka with her usual tricks." Alec smiled fondly. "She's definitely the most popular bartender here, that's for sure."

"Beka?" Seregil couldn't believe his ears. "Beka is _here_? Is Micum here too?"

Alec looked at him sharply. "Wait, you know them too? Yeah, Beka and her dad work here. That's how I got the job."

"Illior's fingers!" Seregil hurried over to the bar, pushing aside the taller customers and squeezing his way to the front. Somewhere behind him, he could hear a disgruntled man complaining, "_Hey pal, you gotta wait your turn like everyone else!"_ But he ignored him, waving frantically at the red-headed woman tending the bar.

He wanted to rub his eyes in disbelief. But it was definitely Beka, down to the freckles scattered across her nose.

Once she finished pouring another customer's drink, she noticed him and rolled her eyes; she was probably used to the various antics of customers. "Yes, what can I get you?" she said tiredly.

"Beka! It's me!" Seregil shouted over the din. "It's Seregil!"

Beka sighed. "Look buddy, I don't know you. Now, do you want to order or not?"

Seregil gritted his teeth in frustration. Didn't _anybody_ in this world know him at all? He felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Alec signalling to Beka, who merely nodded and gave Seregil one last strange look before turning back to the other customers. Seregil let Alec drag him away from the bar, feeling lost, confused and extremely frustrated.

"Look, Seregil." Alec's voice was low, urgent. "If it helps any, I don't doubt that you know Beka and Micum. But now's not the time to spring yourself on them. Just lay low for a while, and later during my break, I'll introduce you to them, okay?"

Seregil nodded tiredly in response. He was sick of the constant cold treatment by the people he supposedly loved most.

"I'll get you a beer." Alec steered him to a corner booth that was deserted, plonked him down and went off to the bar. He came back in a few minutes with a mug of what looked like ale, and set it down in front of Seregil. "On the house," he said with a wink, and for a fleeting moment, Seregil was almost convinced that this Alec _was_ his kind-hearted Dalnan talimenios. Then Alec walked away, leaving a very confused Seregil with his thoughts.

* * *

Seregil spent the night observing Beka and Alec at work, and both were extremely quick and professional. He could see that Beka was very popular with the crowd, while Alec had his fair share of female admirers and even the attention of a handsome young man who was seated somewhere down the bar. Seregil was surprised at the surge of jealousy rising in his gut, and turned away quickly before the young stranger noticed Seregil glaring daggers at him. _This isn't your Alec, so why are you so hot and bothered?_

Seregil downed another swig of ale. This was going to be a long night.

Just as he was getting bored and restless, he spotted some people walking up to the stage with instruments. He sat up quickly, relieved. A performance was the perfect distraction to take his mind off his unusual situation, off Alec, off this strange new world that seemed intent on constantly springing surprises on him.

He eyed the odd instruments, most of which he couldn't recognise. One resembled a lyre with a very long neck, while another looked like the combination of a clarinet and a horn. He recognised the double bass though, which the player was struggling to cart up the stairs. The drummer quickly hopped down to help him, and people were already starting to gather around the stage in anticipation.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" One of the men was speaking into an odd-looking rounded cone on a stand, which somehow amplified his voice. Seregil looked around in wonder, but there was no obvious way how his voice seemed to be so loud. Magic, then. "Thank you for coming down to Mickey's to support us. We're the Birth Of The Cool, and tonight we're here to entertain!"

There was a smattering of applause, and Seregil happened to turn towards the bar, spotting the young man talking and laughing with Alec. The frown barely tainted his face before he smoothened his expression into a neutral one again. He forced himself to focus on the musicians.

"And a one, a two, a one, two, three..." They launched into the most terrific noise that Seregil had ever heard in his life, and he was forced to clamp his hands over his poor ears. That certainly _wasn't_ the sound of a lyre or a harp.

He only released his ears when Alec came over. "Come now, Seregil!" Alec was fighting hard not to laugh. "They don't sound THAT bad."

"Are you sure?" Seregil was incredulous. "I once travelled with a band of deaf musicians, and trust me, the deaf musicians were much better!"

Alec couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. "Geez Seregil, give 'em a break. They're not Miles Davis, but they're not the worst we've had."

"Who's Miles David?"

"Never mind." Alec flopped down next to Seregil, sitting close enough so that both of them were snug inside the booth, his thigh pressed against Seregil's. Despite the loud, awful music, Seregil felt content and happy for the first time since he had landed in this terrible universe.

_Not your Alec!_ The traitorous voice in the back of his mind hissed, and he almost jumped, leaning away from Alec, who looked perplexed.

"Anyway, it's my break now," Alec told him. "You want to meet Beka?"

"And Micum." Seregil was almost fidgeting with excitement. Even though there was a very high chance Micum would give him the cold shoulder just like Beka had, he just wanted a glimpse of his friends, a reminder of home.

"Come on." Alec tugged his hand, and Seregil willingly got on his feet and followed, trying not to think about how good Alec smelled. As they passed the young man at the bar, it didn't escape Seregil's notice how he had looked at their joined hands with surprise, then dismay. Seregil couldn't help a grin as they headed towards the office.

Alec only let go once they were in the office, and Seregil immediately recognised the deep voice humming some off-key tune, emanating from somewhere at the back of the office. "Is that Micum?"

"Yup, that's him. He's in his office, come on." The staff room was dark and dank, and Seregil could spot someone sprawled out on one of the couches, snoring softly. Alec tiptoed past him, and Seregil did likewise. This felt a little like nightrunning, and Seregil was beginning to feel like he was in his element again.

Following Alec down a narrow, dark corridor, they finally reached a brightly-lit room which was dominated by a giant, ancient desk. It was full of books and ledgers toppled dangerously on top of some boxes. There was an abandoned violin beside the desk, and a mug of something which looked dark and potent.

Sitting at the desk, bent over a ledger and whistling cheerfully, was Micum, hair as red as ever, except for where his temples had grayed. He looked up as they came into the room, and smiled at Alec. "How's the crowd?"

"Good, considering it's a Thursday night," Alec said. When Micum's gaze turned to Seregil, he found that he just _couldn't_ utter a word to his best friend of several years. Instead, he stepped a little closer to Alec, who apparently sensed his nervousness.

"Micum, this is my friend, Seregil," Alec said, resting a hand on Seregil's shoulder.

"Ah." Micum stood up and reached over the desk, hand stretched out towards Seregil. "Any friend of Alec's is a friend of mine."

Seregil shook his hand limply without a word.

"Oh, wait." Micum was grinning mischievously. "Are you a friend, or a '_friend_'?" His fingers made quotation marks in the air.

"Geez, Micum!" Alec's trademark blush was back again. "Lay off, will you?"

"Ah, sorry." Micum seemed disappointed. "It's just that we've always rooted for Alec to get a boyfriend, you know? Or at least get la-"

"Er, Seregil wanted to meet Beka too," Alec said hurriedly. Seregil, who had been watching the entire exchange with fascination, nodded eagerly. Maybe the presence of Beka would help to loosen his tongue.

He couldn't help thinking of the real Micum back home. If he knew that he had ever caused Seregil to be speechless, he would have snorted with laughter until he fell over. Beka too, for that matter.

"Beka!" Micum called out, and there was an answering yell somewhere from outside. "Come in for a while, would you, love?"

Heavy footsteps thumped towards the office as Beka appeared at the doorway. "Thanks. Think I need a breather from the mob outside," she complained. Her eyebrows shot up when she spotted Seregil. "Hey, weren't you the guy yelling at me at the bar?"

"Beka, this is Seregil," Alec said. "And um, the thing is-"

"I know all of you," Seregil said quietly.


	5. Chapter 5 One Fine Wire

_Chapter Five_

If Alec had to compare, Nysander's reaction had been far more favourable than the looks currently on Micum's and Beka's faces. Micum seemed confused and lost, eyes darting over to Seregil every now and then as Alec told his story, while Beka was regarding Seregil with a sceptical, suspicious gaze. When Alec was finally done, Beka just remained silent while Micum was gawking at Seregil as though two alien heads had just popped out from his back.

"Well." Micum cleared his throat uncomfortably. "That was, uh, interesting. Where did you say you're from again?"

"Skala," Seregil said with a sigh. "Well, actually, Aurenen, but..." He trailed off when he noticed Micum's uncomprehending frown, and Alec couldn't help feeling sorry for Seregil.

"And you say this is all in an entirely different universe." Beka's voice came out sounding a lot sharper than she probably intended it to.

"Yes."

Beka turned to Alec. "Did you expect us to believe all this?"

Alec shrugged. "I'm just as confused as you are. But like I said, he knew Nysander and Maggie too. He even knew Maggie's real name, which she had never told any of us."

Beka took a few steps towards Seregil, who Alec noticed subconsciously shrank back from her. Despite the situation, Alec bit back a grin. When Beka was sceptical, she could be pretty fearsome. "Okay then. If you say you know us-" she pointed to herself and Micum. "-can you name the rest of our family?"

Seregil snorted. "Of course I can. Your mother is Kari, and you have two sisters, Illia and Elsbet. You also have two young brothers, Ghrelin and Luthas."

For a minute, there was only shocked silence in the room. Alec's jaw was hanging open just like Micum's and Beka's were. All three of them were gaping at Seregil, who looked rather triumphant , already knowing instinctively that he had correctly guessed all the names of the Cavish family.

Micum was the first to find his voice. "You either are who you say you are," he said at last. "Or you are stalking us. It's one or the other."

Seregil looked impatient. "Can't you all just accept that _I am telling the truth_?"

All traces of scepticism were gone from Beka's face; in fact, it was her turn to shrink back from Seregil a little. "Alec, could Dad and I have a minute by ourselves?"

"O-of course." Alec was still stunned from Seregil's astonishing feat, but he forced himself forward, tugging Seregil along. "We'll be outside."

"Thanks." Beka was already half-turned towards her father, whispering urgently to him as Alec stepped out with Seregil, his shoulders sagging with relief. Had that gone well? He didn't even know. Beka had turned so pale; she had never done that before, not even when a bar patron had once been stabbed in front of her. Behind him, he could hear Seregil's trudging, gloomy footsteps. They both didn't say a word until they were out of the office.

"Well." Seregil seemed even more defeated amidst the din of the crowd. "That was pleasant."

"You gave them a scare," Alec explained. "There was no way on earth you could have known the entire Cavish family, especially since they only adopted Luthas a few days ago."

Seregil sighed. "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know." Alec glanced at his watch. There would be another two hours before his shift ended, although he sorely wished they could just go home now. "I guess you could either wait for me to finish work, or you could go back-"

"I'll wait," Seregil said without hesitation, and Alec was surprised at how pleased that made him feel. "I'll go back to the same table and listen to that horrible band."

Alec grinned. "For once, I'm going to agree with you."

* * *

The next two hours passed by at an excruciatingly slow pace for Alec, and there were quite a few instances where he mistakenly brought customers the wrong bill or the wrong drink. Frustrated with himself, he stood at the bar and had a drink of water to gather his thoughts, noticing that Beka had still not come back out. Colbie was tending the bar instead.

"Rough night, huh?" A deep, familiar voice distracted him from his thoughts, and Alec turned to find a sympathetic Isaac smiling at him. "You seem out of sorts tonight."

"Yeah, I guess." Alec slid onto the barstool beside him. He didn't really like Isaac, but he was a very regular customer and Micum's friend, so Alec felt obliged to at least be polite to him. "I guess I'm just distracted."

Isaac turned to glance at something behind Alec. "Distracted by the hot stud you brought along to work today?"

"Stud?" Alec turned around, and noticed that Isaac had been referring to Seregil, who was watching the band onstage with a wince. He couldn't help grinning. "Oh, you mean Seregil?"

"Yeah, him." Isaac's voice had an edge to it that wasn't there before. "Who's he? Your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Alec wanted to laugh, but to his surprise, another emotion quickly overtook it: he wanted it to be _true_. "Uh, no. No, he's not. We're just friends."

Isaac's eyes softened. "Really? Just friends?"

"Yeah." Alec was tempted to tell Isaac that it was none of his business, but he imagined that wouldn't go down well with Micum at all. "He's from out of town and I'm just showing him around."

"Oh, good." Isaac seemed a lot chirpier now. "Then I thought maybe we could go for dinner or something? Just you and me?"

"Dinner?" Alec was startled. "Oh. I-" He looked down at his hands, feeling his ears go hot. Here was a decent, handsome guy who was interested in him, so why was he hesitating? After all, his friends – hell, even his _boss_ – had been rooting for him to start dating, so why couldn't he work up the nerve to say yes?

"Oh." Isaac's eyes had hardened again. "So maybe you and that guy aren't really _just friends_, huh?"

"Isaac, I-"

"It's okay, Alec." Isaac wouldn't look him in the eye as he got up, taking his coat with him. "Maybe it's my fault for taking so long to ask you out." His gaze settled on the spot behind Alec again, and when he turned, he found Seregil staring at both of them.

"I'm really sorry," Alec said, but Isaac only gave him a small, tight smile before turning to leave the bar, a sad, forlorn figure amidst all the drunken merrymaking.

Seregil was already alert and suspicious as Alec came over to his table. "What happened? Why was your friend looking at me like I stole his best horse or something?"

Alec shook his head. "Nothing," he said, even when Seregil cocked an eyebrow at him. "I just- dammit, why does everything have to happen tonight?"

Seregil leaned back a little, then took a drag from his mug of ale. "Sorry I'm causing all the trouble," he said quietly.

"Oh, no. I didn't mean you." Alec looked at him clearly and honestly. "I'm glad you're here. Really."

Seregil's small but genuine smile was a sufficient reward.

* * *

It was only after the bar had closed and Alec was stacking the chairs that Beka and Micum emerged from the office, tired and solemn. Micum beckoned to both Alec and Seregil, and they moved cautiously to the bar, wondering what was going to happen.

"Alec and Seregil, Beka and I have been discussing things, and maybe we think the best thing is to have dinner together some time," Micum said, before adding, "With Nysander and Maggie too. And Kari and the kids, of course."

"We called Mom," Beka whispered to Alec. "And she said she had to see this for herself."

"But there's something I'd like to clear up." Micum turned towards Seregil, who now seemed both relieved and nervous. "I'm quite sure I have seen you somewhere before. Doesn't your name start with an R or something? Randall?"

"Not at all," Seregil said indignantly. "I am who I say I am."

"Very well." Micum let out a sigh. "I'm inclined to believe you only because I trust Alec, and I trust Nysander and Maggie."

"In my world," Seregil said, "you are like a brother to me."

That seemed to soften Micum somehow. "Well, since you know the names of my family, I'll assume that is the truth. Or that you're a very good psychic."

Seregil seemed confused, but he bowed slightly. "Thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt."

"Not a problem." Beka yawned before glancing at her watch, then declared, "Now let's close up and head home. I could eat a horse!"

* * *

Alec was wiping the glasses as Beka washed them and handed them over to him, barely registering her excited chatter. It had been a long night, and he was glad that Beka and Micum had decided to give Seregil a chance. Still, what would that help? If Seregil was mentally ill, would it help him if they all played along with his delusions?

And the best part was this: what if he had been telling the truth and really was from another world? Would they be able to help him get back to it? Or was he stuck here forever?

"Hellooooo? Earth to Alec?"

"Huh?" Jolted out of his thoughts, he turned to face a grinning Beka. "I'm here, I'm here."

"So what was the last thing I said?"

"Um..."

Beka burst into laughter. "See, I knew you were miles away. Thinking about our odd visitor, huh?" She tipped her head in the direction of Seregil, tucked into a booth and snoring quietly.

"I guess so. I'm just wondering whether he is who he says he is. Or if he's just a wandering psychopath."

Beka seemed thoughtful. "That was what Dad and I were trying to figure out. Whether he's some conman who has you in his clutches, or some escapee from the loony bin." She lowered her voice confidentially. "Don't tell Dad, but he's going to have Seregil checked out over the next few days, before he comes for dinner."

Alec frowned at her. "Checked out?"

"Yeah, background check and all that. By his 'associates', no doubt." Beka laughed bitterly. "What do you think happened to my last few boyfriends? The last one turned tail when he found out Dad unearthed some late library fines he had when he was in the third grade."

Alec chuckled. "Sounds like Micum, alright." He glanced fondly at Beka, who was like the sister he never had. "What about Nyal?"

"What about him?" Beka kept her tone casual, but her cheeks were flushed. "He's just a fling, I doubt Dad even cares."

"I think both your dad and I know that's not true," Alec said teasingly.

"Well, enough about me. What about you?" Beka nudged Alec with a grin. "Any prospects on the horizon?"

Alec quickly ducked his head. "Nah, nothing."

"You liar!" Beka's eyes were round with wonder. "Tell me! Did someone ask you out?" She frowned for a while, then gasped. "Did Isaac finally ask you out?"

Alec gaped at her. "How did you know about this?"

Beka shrugged. "He might have asked me a few things about you."

"And you never told me?"

"I didn't want to scare you off," she retorted. "So what happened? Tell me!"

Alec sighed. "He asked me out tonight. And I said no. Simple as that."

Beka's face fell. "No? Why did you say no?"

"Because I wasn't attracted to him?"

"But why? He's handsome, young, funny and very stable. Why did you-" Beka suddenly turned sharply in the direction of the sleeping Seregil. "Did you say no because of him?"

"What?" Alec was incredulous. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"You tell me." Beka finished with the glasses and fixed him with a cool but kind gaze. "Alec, it's not going to work out with him. I know that in his world, you're lovers or whatever-"

"But this is our own world," Alec said a little sharply. "Trust me, Beka. I'm well aware of that." He picked up a tray of glasses and headed stiffly into the kitchen.

But behind him, he thought he heard Beka murmur, "No, you aren't."

* * *

Alec had never been more glad to be home, or to tumble into bed. It had been a long day, and the whole episode with Seregil discovering he knew Beka and Micum had been very draining. Alec wondered what the dinner would be like, imagining a lot of awkward pauses and suspicious glances thrown Seregil's way. He suddenly felt tired. Why couldn't Seregil be normal, from a normal place and not some faraway land with dragons and magic and wizards?

Hearing Seregil's gentle snoring outside, Alec felt an inexplicable curl of longing in his stomach, and sternly shushed it into silence. Beka had been right, more than right when she had admonished him for his so-called feelings for Seregil. Right from the get-go, he had sensed this immediate pull towards Seregil, this innate attraction that had evaded him for so long. He had never felt this way about anyone before, man or woman.

It had taken him a good few years of struggling with his sexuality before he met his current group of friends who simply didn't care, who didn't like putting labels on things anymore than he did. His strict Christian father had not taken kindly to Alec's bisexual leanings, but he had not disowned his son either. Ever since Alec's mother had died during childbirth, all they had ever had was each other. The fact that Alec occasionally brought home a boyfriend instead of a girlfriend infuriated his father, but he knew that deep down, his father loved him no less.

He felt tears prickling his eyelids at the memory of his father, who was a stern man, but a kind and decent man as well. He wondered what his father would have made of the whole Seregil episode, but here he could only draw a blank. He imagined his father would have frowned upon the whole thing.

"I miss you, Dad," Alec whispered into the darkness, and found that he already felt a little better, felt the heaviness of loneliness lift off his chest a little. In the living room, sprawled on top of the couch, Seregil continued to snore gently, unaware of Alec's inner turmoil.

Maybe it would be better tomorrow.

_To be continued_


	6. Chapter 6 Fallin' For You

_**Author's Note: Please be warned! This chapter contains homoerotic scenes of a PG-13 level, do NOT read if you are below 13.**_

_Chapter Six_

_Seregil awoke to find Alec standing by the window, staring up at the pale, pale moon. Yawning, he sat up and smiled sleepily at Alec, who turned, regarding him with more than a little interest. "Couldn't sleep, tali?" Seregil asked._

"_The moon's keeping me awake." Alec looked up again, brushing his long blonde hair back against his shoulders, and Seregil found himself longing to bury his nose in those fair tresses again. He held out his arms towards his talimenios, who smiled and walked over to the bed without any hesitation. It was amazing, the way they gravitated towards each other._

_Alec climbed onto the bed and straddled Seregil, their hips fitting nicely together. "Hi," he whispered, lips bare inches from Seregil's mouth._

"_Hi." Seregil didn't know who closed the distance first, but Alec's lips were already parted and he found himself falling, falling into Alec's sweet warmth, the pliant, undeniably male taste of his mouth. He could feel Alec's eager hands roaming in his hair, tugging on it just enough to make him moan into Alec's mouth. _

_When they broke apart for air, Seregil's heart was thundering in his chest. "By the Light, Alec..." His voice was breathless, panting. "What you do to me-"_

"_Tali." Alec was bestowing kisses all over his face, then rested his forehead against Seregil's. "My beloved."_

_Seregil's shaking hand found Alec's, and they intertwined their fingers tightly, just finding their breath, letting the thunder of their heartbeats slow down to a reasonable pace. _

"_Alec."_

A loud ringing sound from somewhere jerked Seregil out of his blissful dream, making him blink blearily at the sudden loss of Alec in his arms. He groaned in anguish when he realised he was not in Skala, but still stuck in this horrible, horrible universe. The taste of Alec was still on his tongue, his clean scent still flooding his senses. Seregil felt horribly vulnerable and defenceless, his need for Alec so desperate and keen that he knew he could never put words to it.

The ringing sound suddenly stopped, and Seregil's sharp ears could hear sounds of stirring from Not-Alec's bedchamber. The dream was so fresh in his mind that he wanted nothing more than to barge in and kiss the living daylights out of Alec, but the tiniest rational part of his brain insistently reminded him that this man was _not_ his talimenios.

But...was he really? Seregil sat up on the couch, conflicted, running a hand through his long hair. The past few days had been confusing, to say the least, and he was beginning to find that this Alec was more and more like his talimenios. Were they really the same person? Or just different versions of each other?

"Illior's Fingers, it's far too early in the morning for this," he murmured to himself, rolling over to try and get back to sleep, to try and dream of Alec again.

* * *

"And we're going to need...a bottle of wine," Alec said, carefully inspecting the list that Kari had given him.

Seregil nodded, keeping a wary eye on the people milling around them in the market. It had been a rough few days, what with trying not to confuse the people in this universe with the people back home, and forgetting not to walk onto the road and get knocked down by one of those horseless carriages, or trying to get vendors to accept a Skalan coin and getting frustrated whenever they brushed aside his money and demanded paper notes instead. As a result, he had to depend on Alec for almost everything, and he wasn't used to that.

"Seregil?"

"Huh?" He turned to where Alec was standing, holding up two bottles of wine, those dark blue eyes dancing with good humour. "Sorry, what?"

"You didn't hear what I said, huh?" Alec pretended to sigh, although his eyes were still glinting with mirth. "I was asking which wine should we bring to the Cavishes's house?"

Seregil shrugged. He knew he was getting broody again, and the sight of Alec – _so close, yet so far_ – was just making him worse. "I'm alright with anything that gets me drunk."

"So any bottle of plonk will do, I suppose?" Alec selected one and put the other back, placing the chosen bottle inside the basket Seregil was carrying. He was regarding Seregil with concern. "Hey, you okay? You've been quiet all day."

"Sorry." Seregil pretended to rummage in the basket; anything to avoid those eyes that could undo him in an instant. "I'm just not myself today."

"Damn right." Alec started leading them towards where people were queuing to pay for their purchases. "Normally you'd be talking my ear off with tales of Rhiminee and Watcher business or how you and Thero tackled that giant squid that one time-"

Seregil stopped abruptly. "There was no giant squid!"

Alec was laughing. "I know, I'm just joking. But hey, at least you're not being moody anymore."

To his surprise, Seregil felt a smile tugging up the corners of his mouth. "It _is_ hard to be moody with the thought of Thero wrestling with a giant squid monster."

"You got that right." By now Alec was well-versed with most of the people and places in Rhiminee and Skala that Seregil had told him about. He was a quick study, after all. "Anyway, I wonder when I will meet our version of Thero." Alec looked at him for a while. "Or you, maybe."

Seregil could only thank years and years of Watcher training for being able to restrain himself from throwing himself at Alec in the middle of a crowded marketplace. Instead, he took a deep, deep breath. "I hope you do, soon," he said quietly, looking at their purchases again, and he didn't need to look up to know that Alec had stepped slightly away from him, disappointment written all over his face.

* * *

Seregil and Alec's arrival at the Cavish family home had been met with loud cheers of approval, and Seregil was led into the bustling kitchen to meet Kari and the kids while Micum unloaded the wine and gifts off a flushed Alec. Seregil was happy again; a welcome burst of familiarity was slowly spreading throughout his body at the sight of Kari, beautiful as always, and she warmly hugged him. The children were more reserved though, with Elsbet extending a dainty hand and Illia letting him ruffle her hair with a shy smile. Kari explained that the two babies were asleep in the nursery, and Seregil could see them later if he liked.

Overwhelmed by the reception, Seregil sat at the table next to Nysander and Micum talking about something called the Maple Leafs defeating the Panthers. Mystified, Seregil accepted his plate of food from Elsbet with a murmured 'thanks', while noticing Beka whispering urgently to Alec in a corner of the kitchen. He looked away quickly, not wanting to be caught spying or eavesdropping, and smiled at Magyana who was sitting beside him.

"How are you, my dear?" she asked gently, passing him a plate of creamed spinach to help himself.

"Good, never been better." The fake smile was still plastered firmly on his face, and Magyana beamed back at him as he scooped spinach onto his plate. If he could survive several evenings with a roomful of Skalan nobility, he surely could survive a harmless dinner with the most important people in his life, right?

His hand wavered a little as he realised they _weren't_ the same beloved family and friends he had left behind in Skala and Watermead. Sure, they had the same faces, the same voices, names, even the same mannerisms. But the cautious eyes of Elsbet and Illia on him only served to remind Seregil that they were also completely different, just like how _his_ Alec was completely different.

As if on cue, Beka and Alec now joined the dinner table, although Alec didn't look very happy at all. He didn't meet Seregil's gaze though, only poking listlessly at his food.

"So, Seregil, what have you been up to for the past few days?" Micum said, accepting the bread basket from Kari and helping himself to a few rolls. "We haven't seen you at Mickey's for a while."

"Oh, I've been mostly with Nysander and Magyana whenever Alec is busy," Seregil said, passing a jug of iced tea to Alec. "It's fun."

"We also take Seregil around the city wherever we can," Nysander said. "Especially the historical sites."

"Oh, did you take him to the museum?" Kari asked.

"Mommy, we went there on a class trip last week!" Illia chirped.

"Now honey, don't talk with food in your mouth..."

Listening to the familiar chatter around him, Seregil allowed himself to relax a little, at least to get some food down. Perhaps he had been fearing that it would have been an all-out interrogation or something, but so far they were treating him like any other guest. Still, he couldn't help remembering the warm, intimate family dinners at Watermead. _They_ would not have treated him like this, with a kind of polite distance.

As he lifted a forkful of buttered potatoes to his mouth, he caught Alec's gaze, and there was something in his eyes that he couldn't quite read, something troubled, and Seregil felt his appetite slipping away from him again.

* * *

The children were running around the Cavish family garden, shouting at the top of their voices to capture Alec the enemy and bring him down, and he lumbered away clumsily, laughing as he tried to evade capture. Beka was helping her parents to wash up in the kitchen, while Magyana was getting her dessert out of the fridge. That left Seregil sitting on the porch with Nysander, watching the chaos in the garden while he sucked slowly on his pipe.

"By the Four, what a racket." Seregil couldn't help laughing as Elsbet and Illia ambushed Alec behind a potted plant and he fell to his knees with a groan, hands up in surrender. "He lasted a lot longer than I would have, though."

Nysander didn't say anything, he simply sat there and continued to serenely suck at his pipe, his gaze on the stampeding children and Alec. Seregil threw him a glance, still not quite believing that Nysander was alive and kicking right in front of him. That was one good thing about this universe, at least.

Seregil's eye fell on Alec again, laughing hysterically as Elsbet and Illia attacked him mercilessly with tickles. The laugh was familiar, and so was the smile. Seregil sighed. This was getting harder and harder every day. Would it have been easier for him if he had gotten stuck with a bunch of strangers? He had been parted from Alec before, and although it had caused him pain, it hurt even more now to see 'Alec' in the flesh everyday and know that he couldn't touch him, couldn't kiss him. This was not his talimenios, and the bond wasn't there.

Nysander's soft, wise voice interrupted his thoughts. "You have to be careful, you know."

"About what?"

"Alec." Nysander lowered his pipe, looking at Seregil earnestly. "He's falling in love with you."

Although he had already known this on some subconscious level, it still jarred him to hear someone else say it. Seregil blinked. "But it's only been a week-"

Nysander waved at him dismissively. "You've been spending almost every waking hour together. I'm just surprised it hasn't happened earlier."

Seregil looked down at his hands, twisting in his lap. "I know he's not my talimenios."

Nysander heaved a weary sigh, the kind Seregil was used to hearing after Nysander had pored over a bunch of ancient wizardry texts. "But does _he_ know that?"

Seregil remained silent.

Nysander opened his tobacco pouch and began stuffing more into the bowl of his pipe. "I don't like to meddle in other people's business," he explained. "But I promised Alec's father that I would keep an eye on the boy. And Maggie and I care very deeply about him."

"So do I," Seregil said.

Nysander lifted an elegant eyebrow at him. "I know you do," he said quietly. "But, as much as it surprises you, Seregil, I do believe that you indeed are from another world. Our frequent conversations about your Three Lands have pretty much convinced me." He paused here to light his pipe again, and Seregil watched him anxiously. "I've read many stories like yours, and I'm more inclined than anyone else to believe stories about parallel fantasy worlds."

"However, let's say I am right, and you really do go back to your world and you are reunited with your, ah, beloved." Nysander sucked on the pipe again. "So what happens to our Alec, then? Is he left to pick up the pieces after you're gone?"

Seregil watched Alec giving a squealing Illia a piggy-back ride. "I never want to hurt him," he whispered miserably.

"I know, my dear boy." Nysander batted at a fly that was hovering near him. "None of us mean to hurt anyone. Yet it still happens. But of course, there's the possibility that you may not get back to your universe at all."

"What do you mean?" Seregil's heart was thundering in his chest.

"I mean that the portal that brought you here may have closed off, and you may never be able to go back." Nysander put his hand over Seregil's, patting it sympathetically. "I don't mean to rain on your parade, I was just considering all options. And everyone's well-being, including yours."

The tight, fake smile was back on Seregil's face. "Thanks," he said, getting up and brushing imaginary lint off his clothes. Thinking about what Nysander had just said would be far too upsetting. "I'll keep that in mind."

Nysander didn't stop him from leaving.

* * *

Seregil wasn't a simpleton. Of course he had considered the fact that he could be stuck in this new universe forever, although it was a thought that had only occurred to him on the darkest of nights, in the darkest of moments. Still, he had hurriedly shushed away the thought before it could take on any substantial form. But now, Nysander had brought these thoughts to the surface, and Seregil couldn't sweep them under the rug anymore.

He could hear stirring in Alec's bedchamber, and he knew Alec was having trouble sleeping too. Seregil shifted uncomfortably on the couch and sighed. Nysander's words kept looming in his head. _He's falling in love with you. _Seregil felt so, so lost. There was indeed the acute possibility that he could be stuck here, and he would never see Alec again. _That_ particular thought stabbed his heart like a shard of ice, and Seregil honestly didn't know what he would do if he never got to see Alec again.

Sure, there was _this_ Alec, but...they weren't the same person. Somehow, Seregil knew that deep in his heart. But what if he never got to go home? And even if he did, what would become of this particular Alec?

Making the sign of Aura, Seregil clasped his hands to his heart and prayed as hard as he could to the Lightbringer, praying that he would find his way home somehow.

_To be continued_


	7. Chapter 7 Battle

_Author's note: Sorry this took so long. Was suffering from a case of Writer's Block, as well as dealing with work and school stuff. This chapter is dedicated to Christy, who prodded me and reminded me to update!_

_Chapter Seven_

Alec was not having a good week at all. Seregil was being moody again, and Alec's efforts to cheer him up were all in vain. When he had suggested that Seregil go seek Nysander out to spend time with him, Seregil had simply shaken his head and refused to go, so that was that. It made Alec wonder what Nysander could have possibly said to him at the Cavish family dinner, but Seregil remained absolutely tight-lipped about that.

To be fair, Alec had not told Seregil about the argument between him and Beka either, which was still hanging over his mind like a dark, gloomy cloud. He knew that Beka had meant well, that she had only wanted to warn him about getting too close to Seregil, but he had surprisingly snapped when she mentioned that she had told Micum about Alec turning down a potential date because of Seregil. That was plain embarrassing, and he had chided her for telling her father things that were supposed to only be between Beka and himself. Fire had flashed in Beka's eyes as she had retorted that she was only looking out for him, and the argument had come to an abrupt, ugly end when Kari had come in to usher them in to dinner.

As a result, Alec was having an awful, awkward time at work as well, since he mostly worked the same shifts as Beka. She spoke to him whenever necessary about work, but he missed her warmth, her humour, her constant support. He wanted to bridge things, but he didn't know how. He wished he could talk to someone about it, but Seregil was equally distant and preoccupied, and Alec just felt very, very lost and alone.

Surprisingly, an unexpected source of comfort came from Micum, who never asked any prying questions and kept Alec company as much as he could. When the pub was quiet one night, Micum brought Alec into the office to help him with some data entry while Beka manned the place. It was a bit of a relief to be away from the noise, as well as the tension simmering between him and Beka.

Micum was watching him clatter away at the keyboard, downing a swig of lager. "Hey, things okay between you and Beka?" he asked, his tone a little too casual. "The two of you are really like cats and dogs sometimes."

Alec's fingers paused over the keyboard. "Just some stuff, I guess," he said reluctantly. "You know Beka, she'll get over it."

Micum just nodded, flipping through the ledger while Alec resumed his data entry. An amused noise from Micum made Alec look up from his work. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just going through the staff and customer feedback about our resident band." Micum was hiding his smile behind his mug. "I think it's safe to say that we won't be renewing the contract for 'Birth Of The Cool'. In fact, one customer says that it sounds like a dying cat being dragged repeatedly over a violin."

Despite himself, Alec had to grin. "I think Seregil said something along those lines too."

Micum arched an eyebrow. "So how's that coming along?"

"What? With Seregil?" Alex kept his eyes fixed on the screen, not wanting to meet Micum's own searching ones.

"Yeah, I mean, have you decided whether he is the real deal yet?"

"I mean, we're just friends." Alec felt himself getting more and more flustered, his cheeks heating up in a flare of indignation. "I don't understand why everyone thinks we're-"

"Alec." Now both of Micum's eyebrows were almost touching his hairline, making him look uncharacteristically surprised. Nothing much _ever_ fazed Micum. "I meant, do you think Seregil is a con man? Or is he really from, um, another world?"

"Oh." Alec just blinked. Well, _that_ was embarrassing. "Oh. I um, yeah. I think he's the real deal."

Micum heaved such a heavy sigh that a sheet of paper flew off his desk, making him bend down to pick it up. "I'm sure that Beka has told you that I decided to run a background check on Seregil."

Alec considered denying it, but it was very hard for him to lie to Micum. He gave a single, sharp nod.

"Well, I did the check, twice, before you two came to dinner. And I have to say, he's _clean_." Micum huffed out an astonished laugh. "The guy's like a ghost, man. No record of him whatsoever. So he's either an ex-CIA agent, or he really is who he says he is."

"Well." Alec shrugged, running his fingers over the faded keys on the board. "I never really doubted him."

"I'm sure you didn't." Micum was now giving him this shrewd, appraising look, much like how he had when Beka had first brought Alec over for a job interview. "I don't know what to tell you. Except, good luck, perhaps. And be careful."

Alec nodded distractedly, letting the various thoughts swirl in his head until they became a complicated jumble of words. "I will."

"Anyway." Micum sat up, smiling at him cheerfully. "We can look forward to a new band quite soon. I've engaged this guy from Toronto, so he and his band will soon be taking over."

Although Alec appreciated the tactful change in subject, he still felt as though Micum was talking to him through a thick glass wall. His mind was still on other more pressing matters. "That's nice," he said a little distantly, nodding as Micum chatted gaily, telling him all about the new band.

* * *

Determined to get Seregil into a better mood, Alec marched home with some nice Thai takeaway and a good bottle of wine – whatever he could afford on his salary, anyway. It seemed to work at first, because Seregil had smiled and given Alec a one-armed hug that felt more blissful that it had any right to. Quickly brushing that aside in his traitorous brain, Alec helped to find the plates and cutlery while Seregil laid out the food. Dinner was a quiet and calm affair, Alec doing most of the talking while Seregil nodded in the right places.

The wine proved to be an unexpected post-dinner surprise, and Alec enjoyed feeling its warmth settling comfortably in his stomach. He had turned the lights down low earlier as he and Seregil had a little chat, then he had decided to turn on some soft music. When he had returned, Seregil wasn't on the couch anymore, so Alec turned his attentions to a copy of 'People' that was lying on the table.

Although there was an interview with one of his favourite actresses, Alec was irritated to find his mind constantly wandering off, looking up every now and then for Seregil. He had to leave the man alone and let him have some space, he couldn't very well follow him around like a puppy everywhere, right?

Sighing, Alec tried to focus on the same paragraph for the third time running. Still, it was useless. He tossed the magazine aside and got up, heading for the balcony. Maybe some fresh air would do him good.

When he slid the door open, he was surprised to find Seregil outside, leaning on the railing and looking down at the view of the city. He smiled when he saw Alec, shifting over to make room for him. "Bored?"

"It was a little too quiet," Alec admitted, going over to stand beside Seregil. "I guess I'm too used to your constant complaining and grumbling."

Seregil chuckled. "Glad to know I was missed."

Alec studied his friend, who was still gazing down at the city, but his thoughts were obviously elsewhere. His wide gray eyes were especially pensive, and Alec had a pretty good idea why.

"You miss him, don't you?" It was more a statement than a question.

Seregil gave him a sardonic smile, a sad little twist to his lips. "We've been apart before, so I don't know why I'm taking things so hard." His eyes were now resting on Alec's face. "I think it's because it's more difficult when I look at you. I see him, but you're not him. It's like looking at an apple, then biting into it and realising it tastes like an orange. Am I even making sense?"

Alec tried to ignore the little lump rising in his throat. "Of course," he said, hoping his voice sounded casual enough. This situation was crazy enough without tossing his own weird feelings into the mix.

Thankfully, Seregil took his eyes off Alec and stared into the distance again. "The pain is incredibly odd. I can't quite explain it." His voice was filled with a strange ache. "When we were apart before, I never laid eyes on him for weeks. But now, you are a constant reminder of him, and also a reminder of how you're not him."

Alec closed his eyes. "I'm sorry." He didn't know why he said it. He just wanted to take away the anguish in those pensive gray eyes.

He felt a hand on his cheek, and he opened his eyes to find Seregil looking at him with concern. And just a tinge of longing. "Don't apologise, tali," he whispered. "It's not your fault. None of this is."

Despite his better judgement, Alec leaned into Seregil's hand, pressing his cheek against the cool palm. "I'm just- I don't want to see you sad."

He knew that little statement revealed a lot more about himself than he knew he should reveal to Seregil, but to his relief, Seregil didn't take his hand away. "Let's go inside," he said instead, with a little shiver. "It's cold."

When they went inside, the lights were still dimmed and the music was still playing softly, and it suddenly struck Alec how romantic the atmosphere was, if he had had any such inclinations. Still, with Seregil standing so close to him, who was he kidding? He liked the man. A lot. And he had no business doing so.

Not for the first time, he wished he was Seregil's Alec.

"Alec." He turned around to face Seregil, who seemed troubled yet determined. His eyes looked especially tired, and Alec wondered if his friend knew how much someone could read him just from his eyes.

"Yes, Seregil?"

"If we could-" Here, Seregil paused and took a deep breath, and Alec sensed that something was going to happen, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to stop it.

"Just say it."

Seregil heaved a pained sigh, then looked straight at Alec. "I miss him. A lot. And I don't wish to be unfaithful. But if we could just-" He broke his gaze, frowning as he seemed to search for the right words. "If I could just hold you, just for a while, just to remember him?" Now his bottom lip appeared to be trembling. "It just occurred to me that I may never see him again-"

Alec reached out and brushed a thumb across Seregil's lips. "Do it," he said, hating the desperate edge in his voice. "Don't overthink it. Just do it."

The surprise in Seregil's eyes was gratifying, but he tried to push away the thought that they were doing something wrong. This was just comfort after all, right? He wanted it, and Seregil wanted it.

"Alright." Seregil hesitated for a while, then raised his arms and slid them around Alec. It was awkward at first, then Alec shifted slightly so he could wrap his arms around Seregil's waist as well. Surprisingly, they were a perfect fit, and for the first time, Alec felt completely safe in someone's arms.

"Tali," Seregil whispered against his shoulder, and he found himself burying his nose in Seregil's long dark hair, scented with sandalwood. He smelled good and clean and pure and inviting.

He wondered just how different he and Seregil's Alec really were, but from the tales that Seregil told him, the other Alec sounded kind, honest, smart and courageous, and Alec wondered if Seregil could really tell the difference between the two of them, the _real_ differences beyond the surface, of course.

Alec hadn't even realised they were moving along slowly to the music until the CD stopped, and he tightened his arms around Seregil, not wanting the moment to end. This was not fair. If there was Micum and Beka and Nysander in Seregil's world, then why wasn't there a Seregil for him here in this universe? The thought brought him both despair and a flare of hope. What if he could never find his own Seregil? What if he was meant to be alone?

He could feel Seregil moving, and he found himself face to face with the man. The wide grey eyes were glittering with tears, then Seregil leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

Alec didn't dare to move. Oh, how he wanted to respond, to kiss those warm lips back, but when Seregil pulled away with a hint of regret in his eyes, he said nothing.

"I'm so sorry, tali," he heard Seregil whisper, and he didn't need to be a wizard to know that Seregil wasn't talking to him.

* * *

The next morning, Seregil wasn't in the apartment when he woke up, so Alec assumed that he had gone off for a walk, or just for some time to himself to think. Truth be told, Alec was wrestling with confusion and guilt after the previous night, and he didn't know how to face Seregil either. He felt as though he had helped a married man to cheat. Which was ridiculous, considering their circumstances, but then now Alec wasn't quite so sure.

By the time an hour had passed and their breakfasts were growing cold, Seregil was still not back yet and Alec was almost beside himself with worry. If Seregil had left, where could he go and what could he do? He did not have much money, apart from his ineffective Skalan sesters as well as a small amount of money that Alec had given him a few days earlier. Still, Seregil was resourceful enough to find his way out. But to where?

Thankfully, the shrill ring of the phone interrupted Alec's panicky thoughts and he jumped up, grabbing the receiver. "Hello?"

"Alec, he's with us, so you don't have to worry." It was Nysander's calm, collected let's-not-panic voice on the phone. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." The relief that washed over Alec was immense, but an edge of anger was starting to creep in. "Why did he leave without telling me? I was worried out of my mind!"

Nysander sighed. "He didn't mean to." There was a pause, then Alec heard that familiar muffled voice in the background. He simultaneously felt like hitting and kissing Seregil. Then Nysander spoke again, "He says that he's very sorry, but you both need some time to think."

Alec slumped against the wall, defeated. If Seregil didn't want to stay with him, there was nothing he could do. "Please take care of him for me, Mr. Nysander."

"I will." Nysander's voice sounded so profound, so full of empathy. "And you take care of yourself, my dear boy. Call us if you need anything."

Alec was still staring at the phone long after Nysander had hung up, listening to the dead dial tone, gripping the handset until his knuckles were white.

Maybe it was for the best after all.

_To be continued_


	8. Chapter 8 Wicked Game

_Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to __**Shadowfax**__ and __**merentha13**__ who has left such lovely reviews so far, as well as the rest of you: __**purpleumeko, jess, anon, N, The Marauderet, gcaedmon, I'm The Vampire Girl, Hiraki Shiroki**__ and __**baked potato**__. The next few chapters are all already written out so hopefully there won't be any more delays in updating. Thanks again for all your lovely support._

_Chapter Eight_

Seregil had considered going to Nysander's as the absolute last resort, thinking that he would be able to survive on his own in a foreign land. After all, he had done it before. Only two things had stopped him from fleeing as far as he could go. Firstly, he didn't want Alec to worry over where he had gone to and whether he could survive. At least if he was with Nysander, then Alec could keep track of him somehow.

Secondly, he didn't want to be too far away from the very spot where he had first turned up after the translocation. What if Thero had managed to get the portal open again and came looking for him? No, he wanted to be nearby. He wanted to go home, dammit.

He knew that kissing Alec had been a big, big mistake. And when he had turned up at the library in the morning, he had avoided Nysander's knowing gaze, not wanting any questions or accusations at the moment. Surprisingly, there had been nothing but kind understanding in Nysander's eyes, and Seregil was beyond grateful. Magyana had fussed over him and fed him, even though he barely had any appetite. All he could think about was how he could ever face his Alec again when he went home. _If _he went home.

This was too much to take.

He knew that eventually, Nysander was going to ask questions once he had given Seregil enough time to settle in, and he owed him answers anyway. So he wasn't surprised when Nysander entered his office with a large steaming cup of earl grey two days later, perfuming the room with its fragrance. Seregil remained where he was, sprawled out on the couch, while Nysander sat down in his favourite creaky old armchair.

As Nysander sipped at his tea, Seregil picked at his nails. "You were right," he blurted out, still not looking up.

He could hear Nysander sigh. "I know, my dear boy. I could have guessed, from the distress in Alec's voice."

That stirred a pang of guilt deep in Seregil's stomach. "Did he sound very upset?"

"I expect that sooner or later, he will want answers," Nysander said carefully.

Seregil rubbed at his face in frustration. "What have I done?"

"We are all human," Nysander said, then he smiled a little. "Even if you _are_ from another world."

Seregil couldn't help a snort. "Doesn't mean I can come here and create a mess."

"No, it doesn't," Nysander agreed. "But crying over spilt milk isn't going to help anyone. Now the best thing is to sit down and think about what we should do next."

This sounded so logical and reasonable like the old Nysander that Seregil immediately felt a little better, as though some pressure had been lifted off his chest. "My only thought was to stay near the place where I had found myself in."

"That's true. Because if the portal was to re-open, or if your friend Thero was to translocate someone else here to look for you, then it would make sense that it would be the same spot again."

Seregil was unbelievably glad that Nysander had been thinking along the same lines. It made his theory seem not so outlandish after all. "So is it alright with you if I stay here? In case Alec sees or hears anything outside his apartment?"

"Of course, you're welcome to stay as long as you want." Nysander smiled at him over his cup. "Not in the library, of course. But you can stay with Maggie and me. Our house is small, but it's comfortable-"

"You're talking to a 'faie who has slept in dungeons. Trust me, your house will seem like a mansion by comparison." Seregil grinned at him. "Take what the gods send, that's my motto."

* * *

Seregil had imagined that being out of Alec's house and away from him would help with these conflicting feelings that were giving him a headache. But, to his surprise, it was getting far, far worse. At least having this Alec close at hand had helped him a little; it was like a temporary salve on a wound that ached too much for him to bear. He missed his talimenios, missed him desperately to the point of desolation, and he kept having these dreams where he was running down a long, dark tunnel and all he could hear was Alec's voice. It was heartbreaking.

When Nysander had told him one afternoon at the library that he had a visitor, Seregil had jumped up quite eagerly, surprised to find that he wanted to see Alec a lot more than he would admit to himself. But he stopped short when he stepped into the garden outside the library and saw a nervous Beka pacing the cobblestone path. Her eyes narrowed when she saw him.

"What happened?" she hissed, taking his arm and dragging him to the bench near the pond where they could talk in private. "I've not seen Alec this miserable since his father's death. And he won't tell me anything, but I _know_ you had something to do with it."

"Beka." Seregil was shaking his head dispiritedly. He didn't even know where to begin. "I'm sorry. I really am. By the Four, I made the biggest mistake I've made since, well-" he paused, remembering that this Beka knew nothing of his exile from Aurenen. "It's a huge mistake. And you have no idea how awful I feel." He looked at her imploringly, hoping that she would understand he had never meant to hurt Alec.

He could feel her resolve wavering, and she just released a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping down in defeat. It seemed as though whatever fight she had left in her had now vanished. "I warned him. I warned him and it still happened." Her confused gaze fell on Seregil. "All I wanted was for him not to get hurt. And now this has happened. He deserves some good news in his life for once, you know. His mother died when he was born, and it's always been only him and his dad. Then he had to deal with coming out to his dad, then just when his father had accepted him, he died."

Seregil kept his eyes on the ground. Although he had no idea what Beka had meant with 'coming out', he had pretty much understood the rest. "I know."

Beka's eyes flashed with anger. "How could you know this? You've only been here for a month. You don't know _anything_ about him!"

"Beka, I know more than you think." The conviction in his voice must have been palpable, for Beka seemed to have simmered down. "You're forgetting that I love this man. Or rather, the version of him back in my world."

"Well, since you don't love _my_ Alec, you have to back off, okay?" Beka pleaded, grabbing his hands. "Please. He deserves a chance at finding love on his own. The last thing he needs is to pine after someone who doesn't love him back." She took a deep, shaky breath, then let it out. "Believe me, I know."

"Who?" Then it occurred to Seregil. "Wait, are you talking about Nyal?"

The way Beka's eyes widened was priceless. "How did _you_ know about Nyal?" Her eyes were narrowing in suspicion again. "Did Alec tell you about him?"

Seregil shook his head. "Actually, believe it or not, Nyal exists in my world as well."

Beka seemed to be contemplating this new piece of information. "Are we together? In your world?" Her voice had just the tiniest tinge of hope in it.

"He loved you. _Loves_ you," Seregil corrected himself. "Very, very much."

Beka was just nodding, staring down at the ground and biting down on her bottom lip, but Seregil had not missed the way her hands were shaking as she struggled to contain her emotions. "Oh, my dear, come here," he said, tugging her into her arms, and she followed willingly, pressing her nose against his shoulder, and he felt like it was when she was six again and shaking from a nightmare, and he was holding her tight to chase her demons away.

They sat like this for a while in the garden while Beka cried out her frustrations on his shoulder, and when he finally released her, all the traces of animosity were finally gone from her reddened eyes, and he had to smile. At last something was finally going right for him; Beka was beginning to trust him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping at her nose. "I just- I guess I'm overprotective of Alec. Like he is of me."

Seregil brushed her red hair back and tucked it behind her ear. "You are just like the other Beka too. Brave, headstrong, not afraid to stand up for those you love. So I'm not surprised."

Beka gave Seregil a faint smile. "I bet she's not as annoying as me, huh?"

Seregil pretended to look serious. "Well, I don't know. But you two could always have a competition."

"Gee, thanks a lot!" Beka was laughing now, hitting Seregil on the shoulder, and for once, he didn't feel so alone again in this world, not since he had left Alec's apartment.

* * *

It was inevitable that he was going to run into Alec eventually, and a week later, they bumped into each other when Seregil was leaving the library and Alec was going in to see Nysander. The look on Alec's face was Seregil's undoing; the mix of confusion and hurt in those dark blue eyes burned into him. "Hello Alec," he mumbled, his gaze shifting downwards guiltily to avoid that accusing stare.

Alec gave him a nod. "It's been a while."

Seregil just couldn't help letting his eyes roam all over that beloved face, taking in the high slope of his nose, the determined set of the mouth he had kissed so many times, the deep blue gaze that knew how to look right through him and unlock his soul. The old longing rushed back into him like a tidal wave, but he restrained himself with the memory of the promise he had made to Beka. "I wanted to come and see you the other day, but-"

"But you didn't," Alec said flatly. "Anything else you want to say?"

Seregil knew how bull-headed his Alec could be, and he suspected that this one was no different. "No matter what happens with us, I just wanted you to know that...thank you," he said softly.

The surprise in Alec's eyes was gratifying. "What do you mean?" he asked, stepping aside to let a old couple pass.

"I mean, thank you. You helped me, a virtual stranger, even though you had nothing to gain from doing so. You introduced me to your friends so I wouldn't be alone. You let me stay at your house, you fed me, you clothed me, you taught me all about the ways of this world." Seregil couldn't help thinking how ironic it was that Alec had saved his life back in their world, and now, in an entirely different universe, he was doing it again. "If it helps, I do believe that we were fated to be together. I mean, not you and I, but rather, you just haven't met me yet. Am I making sense?"

Alec's face was entirely unreadable and impassive, but at last he let out a long, shaky sigh. "I think you are. I mean, I don't know." He huffed out a bitter laugh. "All week long, I thought you were playing a wicked game with me-"

"I'm not," Seregil said immediately. "I swear on Illior's name that I'm not. I'm just a 'faie who misses his talimenios and made a mistake. But I never meant to hurt you. Or him." He swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. "When the time comes, I will explain it to him. Explain what I did. But in the meantime, it is my duty to convince you that I never meant to play games with you."

Alec's eyes had softened by now, and he was simply shaking his head. "Perhaps it's my fault too. For entertaining notions, I guess."

"What notions?"

"Never mind." Alec gave him a smile that was a bit too bright to be genuine, but at least it was a smile. "Anyway, what did you say to Beka? She seems to be your biggest fan now, she was the one who convinced me to come down and try to talk to you."

"Ah, Beka." Seregil felt the gratitude welling up in his heart. "Well, that's a story for another time. For now, how about we go get a drink?"

"Sounds great to me." As Alec wrapped an arm around his shoulders, Seregil sent a silent prayer up to the Lightbringer, praying for the strength he didn't know if he had to stay true to his talimenios, even if he never made it home in the end.

_To be continued_


	9. Chapter 9 Breakthrough

_Author's Note: Sorry, I tried to update this earlier but FanfictionNet wouldn't let me upload this for a few days. _

_Chapter Nine_

Although Alec had never taken an acting class in his life, he was sure that he would have excelled in the subject and passed with flying colours. All week along he had been acting normally around Seregil, hanging out with him, having dinner with the Cavishes, bringing him along to Mickey's during his shifts. He smiled normally, laughed normally and gave Seregil one-armed hugs that were not long enough to make Seregil feel awkward, but long enough so that Seregil wouldn't realise something was amiss. All in all, on the surface, everything was normal. All week long, Alec was _fine_.

All week along, Alec pretended that he wasn't completely, madly and inexplicably in love with Seregil.

Normally Beka might have noticed if something was up, for she was always the first to be able to tell if Alec was feeling down or acting strangely. But she had problems of her own with Nyal, and thankfully that took the focus off Alec and the storm of unrequited feelings brewing inside him. He had caught Nysander giving him sideways glances sometimes, his brow furrowed with worry, but Alec had assured him that he was fine. Really, what did he have to complain about? He was going to graduate in a year, and he had a good job, with good friends who were almost like family. So life was fine, really. So what if every single time Seregil looked at him made his heart rise with hope, then crash with disappointment again?

He was frowning over this as he wiped his glasses clean after a late shift, Seregil laughing in a corner with Beka while Micum tallied the day's sales in the office. His friend's laughter was a good indication that he was settling in and getting more comfortable, and Alec honestly didn't know what to do if Seregil stayed here forever and never went back to his own world. It was easier to pine over someone who was absent, as opposed to someone whom he saw every day. Hell, it was absolute _torture._

"Alec!" he heard Micum bellow from the office. "Come here a second!"

"Coming!" Alec set down his glass and dishrag, untying his apron distractedly. Whatever Micum wanted him to do, more work would definitely be welcome. At least it would help in taking his mind off things. And then, hopefully, once the fall semester started, Alec would be too busy to even think of his current heartache with Seregil. Maybe things might get better then.

He stepped gingerly into the messy office, careful not to bump against a stack of crates that were placed in front of the safe, for some reason. "You called?"

"Yeah Alec, you know that I didn't renew the contract for our house band." As if on cue, both Micum and Alec winced at the mere memory of the loud, screechy music. "And I've engaged this band called 'Silverleaf' from Toronto. They should be here in about two to three weeks."

Alec was surprised. "That's rather fast."

Micum gave him a deadpan stare. "Would you rather that I extend 'Birth Of The Cool' for another two weeks?"

"Nononono!" Alec said hurriedly. "Erm, go on."

"Anyway, I need you to help me email their manager and ask what sort of equipment they'll need. Just the basic stuff like mics, amps and so on. I'll also need you to ask about their instruments and whether they'll need keyboards or if they're bringing their own." Micum pushed a handwritten list across the messy desk to Alec. "Here, I've got most of it written here, but you know I hate computers. Could you help me email the manager and follow up whenever necessary?"

"Sure, of course." Alec squinted at the list. "What's his name?"

"Hang on, I've got it here somewhere." Micum flipped through the rolodex on his table. "Ah, here it is! His name is Thero."

Alec just stared at Micum with wide disbelieving eyes.

"Alec? You okay?" Micum waved a hand in front of him. "You look like you've just seen a busload of ghosts."

"Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah. I'm good." Alec simply nodded, staring down at the email address in front of him. So he was finally going to meet the modern version of Thero. He didn't quite know how to feel. What if this Thero knew Seregil?

Well, there was only one way to find out.

* * *

Alec had never been so nervous in life about writing a simple email. He opened up his notebook, then paced around a bit while waiting for Windows to load. Once his notebook was up and running, he opened up his email account and stared at the screen, biting his lip. How was he going to subtly ask this Thero if he knew Seregil, without sounding like a nutcase?

He took a deep breath, then began to write.

**_From: Alec_**

**_To: Thero_**

**_Subject: Band equipment_**

_Hi Thero, my name is Alec and I work for Micky's. I'd just like to extend a friendly welcome to ur band! My boss, Micum Cavish asked me to email you and ask if you need any special equipment that we can get and install for you before you guys arrive. So let me know if you need any special amps, mics, feedback monitors, cables, effects pedals and mixers. Also, we need to discuss your instruments. Attached is a list of all our current equipment and instruments. Let me know if it is sufficient._

He sat back, relaxing a little. So far, so good. He sounded professional, even a little breezy. He wondered if it was acceptable to slip in a little personal question. Still, no matter how he phrased it, the question 'Do you know someone called Seregil?' just sounded very random and weird. He frowned before deciding that it was better to wait before they had exchanged a few emails, then he could spring the question on Thero once they were more comfortable with each other.

_Anyway, we're looking forward to welcoming ur band. Just drop me an email if you need anything. Take care and see you soon!  
_

He smiled. That sounded just right. He didn't sound crazy or stalker-ish, which was a big bonus in his book. Clicking the 'Send' button, he got up from the couch and went to get himself a drink to calm his nerves. What if this Thero didn't know Seregil, and all his hopes came crashing down again? No, that wouldn't do. He couldn't keep getting his hopes up all the time.

After an hour of mindless channel surfing, he checked his email again and was delighted to see there was already a response. However, it was rather brief and taciturn.

**_From: Thero_**

**_To: Alec_**

**_Subject: Re: Band equipment_**

_Hello, the equipment list is fine, I've gone through it with the band and we don't need anything else. We use a different KORG keyboard from the one you have but that's not an issue. Thanks._

Alec couldn't help feeling ridiculously disappointed. _That was it_? He couldn't believe that Thero would be so curt with him. Hadn't Seregil told him that the two of them were good friends in the other universe, and Alec had even helped to patch up Seregil's strained relationship with Thero? Maybe it wasn't like that in this world.

Feeling really let down, Alec was about to log off his email when he saw a line at the bottom of Thero's email that he had missed out earlier.

_PS: I noticed your email signature, that's a Sia lyric, isn't it? Are you a big fan? I think she's unbelievable._

Well, at least that was something. Alec was rather surprised to find that Thero was a Sia fan too; he didn't know of anyone else who liked the Australian singer. Feeling a little buoyed, Alec wrote an email back to Thero thanking him for his quick response, then added a few more lines about Sia, asking which album he liked best.

**_From: Alec_**

**_To: Thero_**

**_Subject: Re: Sia?_**

_Hi Thero, thanks for ur prompt response. I'll let Micum know about the KORG keyboard, he might be able to trade it up for a newer model. I'll keep you updated on that._

_In the meantime, yes, I am a HUGE Sia fan. I fell in love with her first album and haven't looked back since. Do you like her as well? She's always been there for me through hard times, particularly now._

Alec blinked. Where had that come from? He hadn't meant to tell Thero that he was going through a rough patch now. But with his father gone, Seregil oblivious, Beka heartbroken and Nysander busy, Alec had no one to talk to, and he realised that he needed to vent somewhere, or he was going to burst. Besides, Thero probably wouldn't care and just stick to the main topic.

This time, the response came in less than ten minutes.

**_From: Thero_**

**_To: Alec_**

**_Subject: Re: Re: Sia?_**

_Sounds like you're going through bad times. I know it's none of my biz, but is everything okay on Planet Alec? Besides, it's nothing that some Sia (and a bottle of wine, or three) can't fix._

Alec just had to smile. Thero was a lot nicer than he initially feared. Maybe it just took him some time before he warmed up and became the man that Seregil was so ready to describe as loyal, intelligent and compassionate.

**_From: Alec  
_**

**_To: Thero_**

**_Subject: Re: Sia?_**

_Thero, thanks for ur concern. Yeah it's been rough lately but I'll be fine. Just got to weather the storm a bit, I guess. Taking refuge in Sia's lyrics. "I'm addicted to the joy that the little things, they bring." How genius is that?_

After many hours and several emails later, Alec couldn't help going to bed with a smile on his face. At least now, he had a friend in Thero, and he might very well know the modern version of Seregil. And Alec could get to meet him at last without feeling like a plate of leftovers that someone didn't want. Even if Thero didn't know Seregil, it already sounded like he and Alec were going to be good friends. They liked a lot of the same bands and singers, and they had the same odd sense of humour.

Maybe things were going to get better after all.

* * *

The next few days were a blur for Alec, because Elsbet's birthday was coming up and Kari had roped him into helping out for the not-so-secret surprise party that they were planning for her. Seregil had also volunteered to get involved, and the increased proximity was not doing Alec any good at all. He wanted to forget about Seregil, to remind himself that he would never be his, but one look into those wide grey eyes and Alec was completely lost. He had never had it this bad before, and he kept cursing himself for these unwanted feelings. Not having any other outlet, he couldn't help pouring his frustrations into his emails to Thero, which were becoming more and more frequent.

**_From: Alec_**

**_To: Thero_**

**_Subject: Re: Sometimes I just feel like..._**

_Thero, have you ever felt like you've met the one person who is right for you? The one person who gets you, who understands all ur little mood swings and when you want to be left alone, and when you just need a huge hug? I dunno, maybe I'm wrong but I just can't stop thinking about this person. And he'll never be mine, so I dunno why I'm so obsessed._

Thero's response was very encouraging.

**_From: Thero_**

**_To: Alec_**

**_Subject: Re: Re: Sometimes I just feel like..._**

_Alec, maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, but we've exchanged so many emails that I feel I can really talk to you. Anyway, I've been in a lot of relationships. A LOT. And never have I met someone who makes me feel like I want to spend the rest of my life with them. Sometimes it makes me sad, but sometimes I just try not to think so much about it because I have friends and family._

_But you know, since you're lucky enough to meet this person, you should really think it over. Maybe you shouldn't give up. It's really hard to find someone you can have a connection with. Maybe you should give this guy some time. Maybe he'll come to his senses and see how awesome you are. Well, your tastes in music, at least :-D_

This made Alec laugh out loud in the office, making Micum raise his head questioningly. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing." Alec was still smiling as he logged out of his email account. "Just something funny Thero said."

"Thero?" Micum was astonished. "You mean the manager of that Toronto band? You're still in contact with him?"

"Yeah, why?" Alec wished he didn't sound so defensive. "I mean, we're getting to be good friends."

"Well, okay." Micum sounded rather doubtful as he put down some flyers he had been leafing through. "That's kinda odd, but that doesn't mean you two can't be friends. It'll be better for us anyway, when the whole band gets here and there might be issues. At least you can smooth things over for us."

"Yeah, definitely," Alec said, although he knew full well that it wasn't the reason at all why he was building such a rapport with Thero. It wasn't his fault that the guy was funny, understanding and had the same tastes as Alec, right?

As he left the office, whistling, he almost bumped into Seregil who was carrying a bucket of ice out back. "Someone's in a good mood!" Seregil said teasingly, and Alec felt the tips of his ears heating up in a familiar blush.

"Wait, you have to hear this." Alec rested a hand on Seregil's bicep, not noticing the way Seregil's eyes flickered to his grip. "You remember the new band that Micum is bringing in? Guess what? The manager's name is Thero!"

Seregil almost dropped the bucket of ice, but Alec's hands shot out just in time, helping him to balance it. "Wait, are you serious? His name is Thero?" Seregil just kept blinking and blinking as he tried to absorb this. "Interesting. Do you think he knows me? I mean, the new version of me?"

"I don't know." The thought was making Alec bounce excitedly on the balls of his feet. "I haven't asked him, I didn't know how to bring up the subject. But I'm going to."

"Good. Good." Seregil just kept nodding, his smile a bit strained. Just as Alec was going to ask him if everything was alright, Seregil tilted his head towards the bucket. "Well, I'd better go, or the ice is going to melt."

"Yeah, okay." Alec stepped back, trying not to frown. "Uh, I'll see you at the Cavishes' for the party prep tomorrow?"

"Yes, definitely." Seregil nodded distractedly as he made his way into the office. "See you tomorrow, Alec."

Alec watched him go, more than a little confused, but he didn't want to think about it too much. No, he had too much on his plate already. _Give this guy some time,_ Thero had advised, and Alec was beginning to think that maybe he was right.

_To be continued  
_


	10. Chapter 10 Oxygen

_Author's Note: The chapter is __**specially**__ dedicated to __**Shadowfax**__, who is really extremely perceptive ;)_

_Chapter Ten_

Seregil prided himself on being a master detective, and for the past week, he was trying his best to figure out what was different about Alec. He instinctively knew that _something_ was wrong, but he didn't know what. There was the littlest treacherous whisper in his mind that it might have something to do with their illicit kiss, but he quickly brushed the thought away. He had apologised for it and taken himself out of the equation and away from Alec, and it seemed to work. It had hurt, that was for sure, but it had worked. He would sooner hurt himself a thousand times rather than hurt Alec, and he had known that Nysander was right. If he wasn't going to stay, he would hurt this Alec beyond measure when he finally went back home.

But the problem was still looming over his brain. What if he _didn't_ make it back home?

At first, he had tried to squelch the thoughts whenever they popped up, putting his faith in Aura and truly believing that he would either find a way back, or someone would come looking for him. But as the weeks wore on, there was no news from either Alec or Nysander. It was worrying. _Beyond_ worrying, and Seregil finally started to acknowledge the dread building slowly in his chest. Home – and Alec – was starting to get further and further away.

He tried to distract himself with the people around him, lavishing his attentions on a lovesick Beka who seemed convinced with every passing day that Nyal wanted her for nothing more than a quick fling. Seregil was tempted to remind her that in his world, Nyal would have laid down his life for her. Then again, who was he to say that everything in his universe was parallel to this new one? If that was true, then the new Alec would have met his own Seregil. So far, that had not happened, and Seregil was beginning to get worried.

He was even more annoyed at himself for the sick jealousy rising in his gut when he had seen the way Alec's face had lit up when he was telling Seregil about Thero. He had wanted to be genuinely happy for Alec, he really had, but a small childish voice in his head was demanding, _'What about me?'_ It had shocked and sickened him to be harbouring such thoughts; he was supposed to be happy for Alec, and he wasn't supposed to be jealous or wanting Alec for himself.

He frowned down at the cake batter he was stirring, listlessly drudging the spoon through the creamy mixture. It was to be Elsbet's birthday cake, and Kari had asked him to help with the baking. Maybe he wasn't being a great help.

"Seregil." He looked up to find Beka giving him a wan, understanding smile. "How's the cake mixture coming along?"

He looked down distastefully at the brown sludge. "Um, I think Kari might have to start a fresh new batch."

Beka couldn't stifle a giggle. "Well, better you than me," she said solemnly. "Mom said I'm better with a knife than I am with a spatula."

Seregil's lips lifted up in a crooked grin. "That's you all over, alright."

"Beka, honey?" It was Kari, wiping her flour-dusted hands on her apron and looking a bit mystified. "There's a man here to see you, he says it's urgent."

They both looked up in surprise at Kari. "Is his name Nyal?" Beka asked calmly, although she was gripping her wooden spoon so tight that her knuckles were whitening.

Kari nodded, then stepped aside to allow a tall, dark man through the kitchen doorway. Seregil recognised the tanned, angular face immediately, complete with the familiar hazel eyes.

"Bec." Even the deep timbre of his voice was the same, and Seregil had to blink in disbelief. Nyal ignored Seregil's gaping, taking off the odd hat on his head that had the symbols 'NY' embroidered on it and twisting it in his hands. "Bec, can we talk?"

Beka looked down at the cake mixture, which she had hijacked from Seregil. Once Kari seemed to be satisfied that Beka did indeed know the man, she quietly took her leave. Seregil was about to do the same but Beka's arm shot out and gripped him. "Stay, Seregil." She looked up at Nyal with a sniff. "So, speak."

Nyal tilted his head in Seregil's direction. "Could we be alone?"

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in Seregil's presence," Beka said stubbornly, and Nyal heaved a long-suffering sigh. Seregil tried to hide his smile by clearing his throat.

"It's always your way with you, isn't it?" Nyal said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, it's your choice, Nyal. I'm not forcing you to be here. You can stay or you can leave." Beka held her head up proudly, staring Nyal straight in the eye even though he was a good deal taller. "So, don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Beka." The pleading tone in his voice must have weakened her resolve a bit, for she turned her head away. "Beka, I'm sorry about the things I said."

Beka continued to stir the batter for a while, and Seregil watched her with fascination. "We always say things that we're sorry about later," she said quietly.

Nyal stepped forward so that he was less than a foot away from Beka. Seregil took this opportunity to read his body language signals, scanning them for any sign of deception or deceit, but all he could detect were remorse and regret. "Beka, I was confused. We were fighting, and I was tired-"

"God, so was I, Nyal!" Beka snapped. "You're not the only working student around. I just finished a twelve hour shift, and all I wanted was to just sit and read a book in your arms or something, and you go and tell me that crap about not being ready for commitment-"

"I was scared," Nyal admitted. "I was scared, okay? Look, I've always fooled around with girls, and it's never been serious, and they've always run circles around me and tried to trick me into commitment, and if I asked them to jump, they would ask how high. Then along comes you, and...God! You're so stubborn, and independent, and you don't care what others think, and you're so fiercely protective of your family..." Nyal trailed off, his shoulders slumping and suddenly looking extremely weary. "I didn't know what to think. So I ran."

All this time, Beka didn't say a word, her head just bowed down as she kept her gaze on the cake batter. Seregil held his breath, not wanting to intrude and hesitating whether to leave the kitchen so they could have their privacy, but at the same time, he wanted to be around in case Beka needed him.

Most of all, he couldn't help being fascinated by this scene, watching the laws of his own universe trying to weave their magic in this new one. He knew deep down in his heart that Beka and Nyal would be together, just like Alec and...

He swallowed the lump in his throat, blinking. It wouldn't do to get carried away in a situation like this. He refocused his attentions on Beka, who was still gazing down at the bowl and refusing to meet Nyal's eyes.

"Please, Beka, love." Nyal stepped closer, his hands coming up to frame her face, and Seregil saw the way her eyes fluttered close as her body reacted to Nyal's mere touch, and he had never missed Alec more than this exact moment.

"What do you want from me, Nyal?" Beka's voice was a cracked whisper.

"Be with me. Always." Nyal's thumb rubbed gently over her freckled cheek. "I wasn't sure earlier, but these past few weeks have been hell without you. Please." He rested his forehead against the top of her head. "I love you, Beka."

Beka didn't reply, but Seregil saw two drops of moisture land in the cake mixture.

"I'm going to leave now," he said quietly, but it didn't matter, for the couple didn't seem to appear as though they had heard him.

* * *

The birthday party had been a success, even though Seregil had to convince Kari to buy a birthday cake from the bakery in the end. Still, Elsbet didn't mind as she ended up getting something very rich and chocolatey, and towards the end of the party, Gherin and Luthas were gleefully smearing each other's faces with chocolate and cream while Magyana and Kari tried to control the chaos. Beka was blissfully unaware, wrapped in Nyal's arms. They were in the love seat at the corner of the living room, where they had pretty much been all evening after Nyal was introduced to the Cavish family. Seregil couldn't help the dopey smile on his face as he observed them with something akin to paternal protectiveness. After all, Micum's children were almost like his own, even in this world.

He turned to get more wine and was surprised to find Alec's dark blue gaze on him, as though trying to scrutinise his thoughts. He offered a smile and got one in return, but it still left him very unsettled. Witnessing the moving scene between Nyal and Beka that afternoon had touched him in ways he hadn't been expecting, and it opened up a whole fresh new pain in his persistent longing for Alec. He closed his eyes with a grimace. This meant he had to keep his distance from Alec even more now. The thought seemed ridiculous and heart-wrenching, but he had no choice.

_So what if you're not around?_ The sly, treacherous voice in his head was popping up more and more often these days._ Illior knows that he'll just talk more to Thero, that's all._

"Shut up, shut up," Seregil muttered to himself, and was startled to hear a dry laugh next to him.

"I haven't even said anything." Micum had a cheerful twinkle in his eye. "But sure, I'll shut up."

"No, uh, I mean-"

"Relax, Seregil."Micum patted his shoulder heartily. "Come, help us finish the wine. Kari will soon be putting the kids back to bed, then the adults can have a fine time finishing the wine that we still had leftover from the last dinner party."

Sure enough, there was indeed plenty of wine, and even Nysander and Magyana helped themselves to more than a few glasses. There were red and white ones with names that Seregil couldn't even pronounce, but that didn't stop him from imbibing. What was worrying, though, was the way Alec gulped down glass after glass as though it were water, and finally even Micum had to take his glass away from him before Alec's face got any redder. Alec was just laughing and laughing, stumbling around and hugging everyone fondly. Seregil couldn't help smiling. His Alec was a happy drunk too.

Then it was suddenly his turn as Alec released an amused Nyal and lurched towards Seregil. "My friend! My buddy!" Then those strong, familiar arms were around him, and Seregil was filled with a shock of longing that surprised even him. He was glad that no one seemed to be paying attention to them. "Seregil, my friend."

"There, there, Alec." Seregil rubbed his back in what he hoped was a friendly fashion, but he couldn't help remembering that memorable embrace outside Azarin's brothel, which was the exact time that Alec had told him when he first had inklings of his feelings for Seregil. Before he knew it, he found his arms snaking around Alec too, to hold him close, one hand stroking the hair at the nape of his neck. He felt Alec's breath hitch against his shoulder.

"God, I love you, Seregil," Alec blurted out, and Seregil had to call upon his every restraint not to say those words back. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."

"Hush, now," Seregil whispered fiercely, holding Alec even tighter. The day's events were taking a toll on him, and all he could think about was the light in Beka's eyes when Nyal held her. He was pretty sure he looked the same right now.

"Why don't you love me?" Alec's voice now sounded tight and breathless, and Seregil easily recognised that he only sounded like this when he was close to tears. "What did I do wrong? Am I not good enough?"

"No, Alec, no." Seregil was alarmed, stroking his hair consolingly. "You've done nothing. It's all me. It's me, alright? By the Four, I hate to see you sad-"

To his surprise, Alec abruptly released him, his eyes dull and dead. "You say all these words. And they're empty!" He tottered away towards the couch, collapsing on it and resting his head in his hands. Seregil longed to go to him, but did not dare to cause any more damage than he might already have.

For the rest of the night, Seregil kept a watchful vigil on him, and when Micum asked if anyone would help him send the extremely inebriated Alec home, Seregil was the first to volunteer.

* * *

The apartment was just how Seregil had remembered it, even though it was shrouded in darkness. His first instinct was no longer to light a lamp, but rather to look for those odd triangular things that Alec called 'switches' to turn on those magic lamps installed in the ceiling. Once he managed to do this, the apartment was flooded with a warm yellow glow, and Seregil managed to drop the snoozing Alec on the couch first so he could lock the door.

Undressing Alec was technically an easy task, for it was something Seregil had done thousands of times – both slowly and quickly – but this was different. Shaking his head, he realised it was foolish to hesitate about this because he wasn't doing it with any amorous intentions, right? Ignoring the mocking laughter in his head, he did it quickly and deftly, trying not to let his hands linger on that familiar, well-loved body. He quickly covered Alec with a blanket before his hands started to get any funny ideas, then heaved a sigh of relief.

He was supposed to get back to Nysander's after helping Alec home, but seeing the way Alec's brow was twisting in some imagined nightmare, Seregil didn't have the heart to leave him. He rested a cool hand on that brow, and it instantly relaxed, softening Alec's features. Seregil stared for a long moment, then stood back.

Who was he kidding? He was always going to love Alec, whether in this universe or the next, and to not love him was like asking him not to breathe. And he knew the depth of Alec's feelings for him, and he knew how much pain it was bringing the young man, and he hated himself for it.

"Illior's fingers, I'm a monster," he whispered to himself, sinking into the chair beside Alec's bed, and there he sat, watching over the sleeping boy until the wee hours of the morning, until dawn broke out in quiet brilliance over the silent city.


	11. Chapter 11 In My Place

_Chapter Eleven_

_Alec was very confused when he woke up to the smell of frying bacon. Whoever could be cooking? After all, he was the only one in the apartment. He sat up in bed with a lazy yawn, then managed to shuffle out of bed and towards the kitchen, more curious than ever and not quite sure what he would find. Maybe it was Micum or Nysander, who had dropped in to see how he was and was frying up some breakfast. Still, some faint instinct of his was telling him that it wasn't either of them._

_As he stood in the kitchen doorway, the sight that greeted him almost took his breath away. As expected, there was a sizzling pan on the stove, of course. But what made Alec stop in his tracks was the sight of Seregil leaning against the counter, scanning the morning paper while keeping an eye on the pan. As some of the fat splattered in the pan, Seregil looked up distractedly and flipped the strips over, before noticing Alec in the doorway._

"_Hey! You're up!" The beloved crooked grin that Seregil flashed at Alec always had the effect of making his heart trip a few beats, and this was no exception. "Thought I was gonna have to go dump a pail of cold water over you to wake you up!"_

"_You wouldn't dare." Alec found himself grinning back. Although he felt more at ease as he stepped a little warily into the kitchen, he couldn't help wondering why Seregil seemed to act and even move differently. He watched his friend maneuvering the pan, whistling some very familiar tune. Something was definitely odd about this situation._

"_Why? You gonna punish me?" Seregil mischievously arched a dark eyebrow, and Alec, standing by the counter, honestly couldn't help falling in love with him all over again._

"_Maybe." Alec felt more and more bold, stepping closer to Seregil as he switched off the fire, then turned to face Alec. "Unless...you like being punished."_

_Seregil laughed out loud, tipping his head back. Alec's gaze was drawn to the smooth arch of his throat. "Nysander was right. You look so innocent and angelic on the outside, but there's a little devil lurking on the inside, isn't there?"_

_To Alec's surprise, Seregil reached out to tug Alec closer to him, those firm arms wrapping around his waist. Alec couldn't help smiling as Seregil cupped the side of his face, rubbing a thumb against his cheekbone. "And which do you prefer?" Alec asked teasingly. "The angel or the devil?"_

_Seregil looked at him as though the answer should be obvious. "I fell in love with both." He did not say anything else, merely resting his forehead against Alec's, but the untold emotion in those wide grey eyes told Alec so much more._

_Alec couldn't believe his good fortune. Seregil. Here. In his arms. And in love with him. He closed his eyes, not wanting to believe that it was all a dream. "Tell me you're mine. Really mine."_

_He felt a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. "Always yours, Alec. Till death. And whatever comes after."_

The alarm clock kept ringing loudly and insistently, and Alec's eyes flew open in irritation. He was nonplussed to find himself still in bed. Hadn't he been in the kitchen with Seregil? But as he blinked a few more times, realising that it had indeed been a dream, he couldn't help the loud, anguished groan of disappointment. What was the point of waking up if the dream world was so much better?

He sat up quickly, then immediately felt the blood rush to his head like a freight train, the results of last night's excess. He groaned again, this time in pain, as his temples throbbed in agony. Why had he drunk so much last night? He couldn't even remember half of what he had said or done. He winced as he massaged his temples. Wine was _really_ not his drink.

"Alec?"

He jumped at the voice from the corner, surprised to see a bleary, sleep-rumpled Seregil sprawled out over his armchair. This Seregil was definitely not a dream. Alec found his voice after a moment, trying to squeeze aside the raging disappointment in his chest. The dream had felt so _real_. "Seregil? Why are you here?"

To his surprise, a shadow of guilt flitted across Seregil's face, then it was gone. "Oh, you were quite drunk last night, so Micum and I sent you home. And I didn't know if you were going to be alright, so I hung around for a while." Seregil looked at his surroundings a little sheepishly. "Didn't realise I had fallen asleep. Sorry."

"Hey, come on. Don't worry about it." Alec tried twice, unsuccessfully, to get onto his feet, and upon the third try, he finally achieved it, although he was feeling a little woozy. He squinted at Seregil. "I mean, your back must be killing you."

"It's nothing." But the grimace on Seregil's face told another story. "Come, we need some kind of breakfast. Your head must be killing you."

Alec couldn't help the wry smile. "Yeah, it kinda is," he admitted, wondering if Seregil was going to end up frying bacon. But as they washed up and brushed their teeth, Alec was disappointed when Seregil started preparing oat cakes in the kitchen. He smiled bitterly to himself, angry with himself for ever believing that a dream could come true just like that. Already he was composing the latest email to Thero in his head, chiding himself for trying to pull a decent man away from his _talimenios._ The thought of Thero cheered him up a little, but not much. Neither did Seregil's stack of oat cakes, but Alec knew to count his blessings. At least Seregil wasn't avoiding him.

They ate their breakfast mostly in silence.

* * *

_**From: Alec**_

_**To: Thero**_

_**Subject: Like eating glass**_

_Sorry, it's me again. I don't mean to keep spamming you with emails, but I dunno who else I can talk to. I can't talk to my friend Beka because she's all in love now. You know, I feel like such a bad friend cos although I'm happy for her, I feel jealous that she has someone she loves. And the more I feel jealous, the more I feel bad. So I just keep it all inside until I explode, I guess._

_I got really drunk last night and it was a good release for all the tension bottled up inside me. Dunno what I said or did, but I don't think it was anything bad cos The Guy isn't avoiding me. I had the most painful dream last night where I dreamt we were hanging out in my kitchen on a Sunday morning and he told me he loved me, and that he would always be mine. You have no idea how badly I didn't want to wake up, Thero. But then, that's life, isn't it?_

_I can't make up my mind whether I want to be around him or not. It's like eating glass. I know it's bad for me, but I do it anyway._

_Anyway, I'm done yabbering about my boring stuff now. What about you? Ur band is coming over next week, can't wait to meet you guys!_

After checking his emails, Alec tried to tidy his apartment a bit, even though it was hard with Seregil distracting him with various jokes and questions. Still, it was nice to return to some sense of normalcy, even though _nothing_ about their situation was normal. Alec decided that he definitely had to ship Seregil back to Nysander, or he would just end up jumping the poor guy right in his apartment. Maybe it was his imagination, but Seregil seemed to be a lot more at ease with him, and sometimes he sensed that Seregil was looking at him, but when he looked up, that dark head would be bent over the table or something, wiping frantically at some phantom stain.

They were almost done when they heard a rustling noise at the door, followed by some metallic scraping sounds. Alec exchanged a wary look with Seregil, who finally nodded and made some kind of signal with his hand. When Alec looked confused, Seregil seemed to remember something and pointed to the kitchen, indicating that he would grab a knife of some sort. Alec nodded, then gestured towards the door, a mutual understanding that they would both surprise the intruder together.

As Alec grabbed the heaviest looking vase he could find and waited behind the door, Seregil quickly joined him, brandishing a chef's knife, then got in position behind the door as well so that he could knife their intruder if he proved to be dangerous. Alec met his eye, nodded grimly and took a deep breath.

He quickly swung the door open. And realised he was face to face with himself.

As the shock quickly wore off, Alec stared at the young man who was crouched over the door knob, dark blue eyes round with surprise, mouth hanging open. Alec lowered the vase, still gaping openly at his doppelganger. This man _was_ him. He had longer blonde hair that was tied in a braid, and the same medieval-type clothes like those that Seregil had worn when he first showed up, but otherwise, it was like looking into a mirror.

The young man with the braid tore his eyes away first, and his face filled with delight when he saw Seregil crouching behind the door. "Tali!"

"Alec?" Dropping the knife, Seregil wasted no time in grabbing the young man and giving him a deep, frantic kiss. Alec stared at the couple, still too stunned to act.

Common sense only occurred to him a few seconds later, and he quickly yanked the kissing couple into his apartment, aware that the neighbours could be watching. "Get in quickly before everyone sees you!" he hissed, but as they all tumbled into the apartment, the couple still paid him no attention. Although they were no longer kissing, Seregil kept touching the other Alec as though to ascertain whether he was real, and they were exchanging endearments in a language that Alec didn't understand, but he kept hearing the word 'tali' over and over again.

Alec just stood there and stared at the two of them in utter disbelief, until Seregil finally cleared his throat and turned to him, his eyes red-rimmed and emotional. The other Alec pretty much looked the same. "Alec, can you help me to send a message to Nysander, please?" Seregil asked, looking calm despite the little tremor in his voice.

Still in shock, Alec picked up his phone and dialled Nysander's number. It felt like the only sane thing to do when his world was falling apart.

* * *

Nysander just kept staring at both Alecs, muttering, "Oh my," under his breath as he sipped from his strong cup of tea. Seregil and his Alec were sitting together on the couch, hands entwined as though he was afraid his _talimenios _would disappear into thin air at any moment, while Alec was leaning against the wall, steadfastly trying not to stare at the happy couple on the couch. But every now and then, his eye kept wandering over to the other Alec, who would catch his gaze and smile. He would return an awkward grin, but it was still too bizarre for him to look at his double and not freak out.

"So Seregil, you were telling the truth all along," Nysander said at last, setting down his cup with a not quite steady hand. "Forgive me for having my doubts, my boy. I always believed you, but doubt can be a tricky little thing, slipping into your heart at the worst moments." He was staring at the other Alec again, shaking his head. "Remarkable. Simply remarkable."

The other Alec couldn't take his eyes off Nysander too. "How is it that you're alive in this world, Nysander, when you have passed on in ours?" he kept asking in his curious Dalnan accent. "From what Seregil has told me, and from the fact that I see my mirror image right before me," he paused here to gesture towards Alec, "I thought everything was the same?"

"Not quite everything, tali," Seregil murmured in a low voice, and his eyes involuntarily flickered over to the standing Alec, who couldn't meet his gaze.

"Oh, I see." Realisation dawned on the other Alec's face. "No Seregil in this world?"

"Not yet," Alec added, but even he was aware of how foolishly hopeful he sounded.

"Anyway," Seregil chimed in, probably wanting to dissipate the awkward tension in the room. "My Alec here says that after weeks of trying, Thero has figured out a way to open the portal back to our world again." The smile on his face was widening. "So he sent Alec back here to find me, and tell me that the translocation will take place tomorrow morning, at dawn. So we both have to be where we were when the translocation happened."

"Thero almost went out of his mind, trying to figure out what he had done wrong," the other Alec explained. "Casting spells day and night, just to get the right one to bring you home. And it didn't help that I refused to leave the Oreska House, sticking by him day and night to remind him of his mission."

"You did that for me?" Seregil asked. There was a tender light in his wide grey eyes.

"You would have done the same," Alec said stoutly. "Or come looking for me through any means necessary."

Nysander and Alec both glanced away as the couple exchanged a lingering hug, then a kiss, and it was hurting Alec so much that he wanted to walk out and just leave, just disappear somewhere until this whole nightmare was over. But the warning look in Nysander's eyes stopped him, and he sagged against the wall, defeated.

* * *

_**From: Thero**_

_**To: Alec**_

_**Subject: Re: Like eating glass**_

_Alec, I have to say I love the Bloc Party reference in your email subject. But otherwise, I feel so bad that you're going through so much. You seem like a really nice guy and it's not at all your fault that you fell for someone who is unavailable. It happens to the best of us. It's happened to me too and it hurt like hell, but I emerged a better man because of it._

_Do what I do. Use the pain and turn it into inspiration for writing songs, writing a novel, anything. Henry Miller said that the best way to get over a woman (or a man, in your case ;-) was to turn her into literature. So do that. If you can't, then do the one thing that makes you happy. Remind yourself why you're alive. And that someday, you're going to meet his beefy hunk who's going to make you really happy._

_In the meantime, here's to good friendship and great music. I'm really looking forward to working with you._

To be continued


	12. Chapter 12 Midnight Bottle

_Author's Notes: Thank you very much for the encouraging feedback and reviews. It helps to spur me on when I'm wrestling with the story. Special thanks to the always encouraging __**Shadowfax,**__ as well as __**VixenReborn, Bulls In Brooklyn**__ and __**Soul of the Black Rose**__. By the way, about half of this chapter is in Seregil's POV, the rest is in Alec's. I will be mixing it up from here onwards instead of dedicating a chapter to either of them.  
_

_Chapter Twelve_

Seregil just couldn't think. He would try, of course, but one mere glance at Alec always had the effect of completely wiping out his entire brain, and it only resulted in him getting sucked into those dark blue eyes and that shy, knowing smile. Who could blame him for giving in to the crashing waves of happiness threatening to sweep over him, to overwhelm him? Alec was _here_. And they were finally going _home_. Seregil was almost beside himself with anticipation. Nothing could go wrong now. He would finally be leaving this odd, strange universe, and even if Thero's magic failed somehow, it didn't matter because Alec was here. _His_ Alec.

Still, he couldn't help feeling the smallest twinge of guilt as he thought of the other Alec, the one from this world who had helped him so much.

The boy had been quiet and solemn all day, speaking only when Nysander spoke to him, and he probably wasn't aware of the pained expression on his face whenever he looked up and saw Seregil and Alec together. It would often be followed by his quick departure, and Seregil would feel worse than ever. It wasn't supposed to be so _complicated_. By the Four, he wasn't even supposed to be here. He was supposed to be back home in Rhiminee, climbing along gutters in the night with Alec faithfully by his side, dodging bandits and necromancers. That was the world he knew, that he belonged in.

Still, it didn't mean that it hadn't hurt for him to say goodbye to those whom he had met in this world. An emotional Beka had come over earlier with Nyal, hugging Seregil tightly and thanking him for everything he had done, and later on, Micum and his family had arrived to say their farewells as well. It had been rather awkward at first for they had all been busy gawking at Alec in astonishment, but Seregil had expected that anyway. The Cavishes had left much earlier when the two babies were starting to get tired, leaving only Nysander in the apartment, and he was beginning to look tired as well.

"Alright, I think I should get going," Nysander finally said as he gathered his coat. "Seregil, you and your Alec are more than welcome to come back to my house and spend the night there. We could come back here in the morning-"

"No, it's alright, Mr. Nysander. Seregil and, uh, Alec can stay here." Alec kept his eyes on the ground, scuffing his shoe against the other. "Besides, they both have to be here at dawn anyway. So they should stay here."

Nysander heaved a long sigh. "Are you sure that's wise, Alec?"

"Why not?" Alec flashed an incredulous smile at all of them. "I'm happy that Seregil is getting to go back. I am, honest."

"Alright then." Nysander nodded at Seregil. "Have a safe journey back, son."

Too emotional to speak, Seregil stepped forward, right into Nysander's waiting arms outstretched for a farewell hug. He had gotten used to having Nysander around, to hearing that beloved voice and that hearty laugh. How was he going to return to Skala and go through the torment of losing Nysander all over again? "I will miss you," he managed at last. "Thank you for all your help."

"Oh, it's nothing." Nysander tried to smile, although Seregil could see that his eyes were wet. "Thank you for bringing a little adventure to our lives, Seregil."

"Sure." Seregil was just as surprised as everyone else when his Alec came forward and wrapped his arms around Nysander in a clumsy embrace. In the confusion, he had forgotten how happy his talimenios had been to see Nysander alive again, even if for a while. Alec was crying openly, not at all ashamed of putting his emotions on display, and Nysander smiled a soft smile while hugging him back, even though he barely knew the boy.

"I'm so happy to see you again, if only for a while," Alec told Nysander, and Seregil tried to swallow the small lump in his throat. Although he had always wanted to go home, this was an exercise in heartbreak. Both of them were never going to see Nysander again.

"Then I'm glad." Nysander released him with a squeeze on the shoulder, then sighed. "It's late, and I really should go or Maggie will be wondering where I am." He turned to look at both Seregil and Alec. "May you two find your way home."

"May Aura Lightbearer watch over you as well." Seregil's lips twisted up in a smile, as he watched Nysander walk away for the very last time.

* * *

Although there were only a few more hours to dawn, Alec had insisted that both of them take his room and try to get some sleep, while he would take the couch. He refused to listen to Seregil's protests, and the tight, pinched look on his face had made Seregil feel even worse. In the end, Seregil eventually gave in only because he didn't want to cause Alec any more distress. It was clearly paining him to be in the same room as Seregil and his talimenios.

Once they were in the bedroom, Seregil could finally feel the weight of the world falling off his shoulders, and he turned to face his talimenios, who was regarding him with those serious indigo eyes. They were finally alone, at last. "Are you alright, tali?" Alec asked.

"It's nothing." Seregil ran his fingers down that familiar, beloved face, tracing those soft, warm lips. "It's just...it's finally you."

"I know." Alec was smiling, threading his fingers through Seregil's hair. "I know."

Seregil had wanted to save their first 'proper' reunion for when they got back to Rhiminee, but this was all too much for him. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against Alec's waiting ones. What seemed like chaste, harmless kisses at first slowly grew passionate, and Seregil found himself pressing his talimenios up against the wall, dizzy with love and desire and want.

This felt right. This was _really_ Alec. The kiss he had shared with Not-Alec had felt wrong and cold, and he felt a twinge of guilt at the odd feeling that he had been unfaithful somehow.

Alec must have sensed his hesitation, for he pulled away slightly, regarding Seregil with a frown. "What's wrong?" He reached out a hand to smooth over Seregil's hair.

"Tali, I...I did something wrong. And I need to know what you think about it." Seregil shrugged a little sheepishly. "Or if you need to hit me or anything."

Alec rested his head back against the wall, and to Seregil, his determined, dark blue eyes and the strong set of his jaw had never made him look more beautiful. "Out with it, then."

"A few weeks ago, I started to worry that I wasn't going to get back to our world," Seregil explained. "And I was driven out of my mind with the worry that I may never see you again. I was exhausted, and missing home, and I missed you so desperately that I-"

"You slept with me." Alec's voice was flat and emotionless. "Or rather, that other version of me."

Seregil shook his head. "I didn't. I just- we held each other a while, and I kissed him, just once. But it felt so wrong that I-"

"Tali." Alec pressed a finger to his lips. "It's alright. I understand."

"You do?" Seregil looked hopefully at him. He still had not come to terms with Alec's rather sporadic jealousy. For all appearances, he was a solid, kind-hearted Dalnan boy who did not let much bother him, but he could be unexpectedly jealous at times, especially of Seregil's past. Therefore, he was going to tread lightly.

To his relief, Alec nodded. "I admit that I was already pondering this earlier. At first, I was thinking that nothing could ever, ever make me look at anyone who wasn't you. But if I had been in your situation, and I had met this alternate version of you..." He shrugged. "Especially if I was homesick and such...I may have thought of the same thing."

"I'm glad you understand, tali." Seregil leaned in, smiling against Alec's cheek. "Forgive me?"

"There is nothing to forgive." Alec turned so that he could kiss Seregil's nose. "Don't take this as a free pass, though."

Seregil laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Alec awoke suddenly in the darkness, breathing hard, struck by a profound, inexplicable sense of grief and loss. In fact, he was so overwhelmed that it took him a long while to realise that Seregil was actually standing over the couch, watching him with an air of melancholy.

Then the reason for his grief struck him. "You're leaving," Alec said flatly.

Seregil heaved a heavy sigh. " It is almost dawn now. We should be waiting outside, to be ready just in case."

"Oh." Alec nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on his hands so that Seregil wouldn't see the distress on his face. "I understand."

Then Seregil's pale hands were on his. "Thank you for everything, Alec. You helped me so much, more than you know." His voice was quiet, intimate.

Alec risked a glance at Seregil and immediately regretted it. His eyes were a sad, pale grey, brimming with an unspoken emotion. Alec forced himself to look away. "You helped me too. You...you opened me. I don't feel so alone anymore."

Seregil's brilliant smile was worth the honesty.

"I only wish that-" Alec was clearly struggling, willing the nasty little lump in his throat to go away. "Never mind. Stay safe. I hope you make it back home."

"Me too," Seregil said softly. "Although for me, home is wherever Alec is." At that, he bent down and kissed Alec on the brow, then ruffled his hair with a sad smile. "I hope that you meet your Seregil. Soon."

There must have been something in Alec's eyes, for a concerned Seregil moved forward and embraced him. He shut his eyes, not trusting himself to keep from saying anything embarrassing or emotional. Instead, he he simply allowed himself to relax in Seregil's arms, savouring these last few moments.

"If you think about it..." Seregil murmured, his voice low and soothing. "It's rather silly, but romantic, really. The idea that we're together in other worlds, and will be together in many more."

Despite himself, Alec couldn't help smiling. "You're right. You ARE being silly."

He was instantly rewarded with that beloved crooked grin. "My only wish is that when you DO meet him, I'll be there to say 'I told you so' and do an annoying little dance."

Now Alec was laughing. "You're completely insane, man."

"Take what the gods send, that's my motto." Seregil dropped him an affectionate wink, but his face grew serious. "May the Lightbearer watch over you, Alec."

Behind Seregil, he could make out the dark figure of Alec emerging from the shadows of the bedroom. "Tali, it's nearly dawn."

"Alright." Then, both Alecs were surprised as Seregil took his hand and kissed it, then pressed it to his chest. "Goodbye, Alec. Thank you."

Alec found himself nodding, not quite believing that he wasn't going to see Seregil ever again. He watched Seregil head towards the door, the other Alec firmly in tow, then the younger man hung back, as though in hesitation.

"Thank you for looking after him," he said in his curious accent, then surprised Alec with a hug. Then he quickly pulled back and ran towards the door, where Seregil was waiting for him.

One last wave, and then the door swung shut. Alec was now alone.

* * *

He had been staring at the ceiling for the past few hours, watching the sunlight slowly flood his gloomy living room as a new day began. He still felt the tingles on his hand where Seregil had pressed his lips to his skin earlier, but now it all seemed like a dream. Maybe if he got up and dragged himself over to the phone, he would call Nysander or Beka and find out that everything had been a figment of his imagination, and there was no such person called Seregil. Maybe he really _had_ been dreaming everything. It would have been easier this way.

He heard his cell phone beep with a new text message, but he didn't bother to pick it up. Instead, he covered his face with a cushion and thought about how it still had traces of Seregil's scent, back from when he had slept over on the couch during the first few weeks.

A wild thought occurred to him and he jumped off the couch, stumbling over to the door and opening it, looking out hopefully. There was no one. His shoulders sagged. They really had gone back to wherever they were from. Mrs. Aciman, his neighbour across the hall, was giving him a weird look so he gave her a weak smile and closed the door again.

He trudged back to his bedroom, and everything was neat and tidy, just as he had left it. He slid under the covers, closing his eyes and trying not to get overwhelmed with the images of Seregil laughing, teasing him, giving him that beloved crooked grin.

Alec closed his eyes. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to sleep forever if it meant that he would never have to feel this crippling, debilitating pain ever again.

_To be continued_


	13. Chapter 13 Begin Again

_Note: Really sorry for the long delay between updates! I was struggling with exams, work, etc. Anyway, we're coming to the end of the story soon. Thank you for all the fantastic reviews, you guys are awesome!_

Chapter Thirteen

Alec spent most of the day sleeping, and when his body finally started aching in protest from being too stiff and slothful, he managed to shuffle out of bed and slump down on the couch to watch whatever was on TV. He wasn't sure what time it was, but it was already dark outside and he knew that he had already slept the day away. That was fine by him; he didn't feel fit for human company now, and he didn't want to inflict his rotten mood on some poor, unsuspecting soul who happened to drift into his social orbit. His phone had beeped sporadically throughout the day with text messages, and there had been a few calls as well which he had ignored. He didn't even bother to glance at his phone.

He was dozing off on the couch in the midst of 'Glee' when there was a sharp knock on the door. "Alec!" He could hear the frustration in Beka's voice. "Alec, open the door!"

"Go 'way." His own voice was a low croak.

"I'm not leaving till you let me in, Alec!"

"Bec, please." All he wanted was to be left alone, for just a little while. "Not now, 'kay?"

"Either you let me in, or I'm letting myself in with my key."

Alec couldn't be bothered. "Suit yourself."

"Fine." Then he heard the jingle of keys being pulled out, followed by Beka's sigh as she unlocked the door, pushing it open. He didn't look up as she dumped her bag on the table, didn't look up as she closed the door and locked it again. Then he felt her cool, concerned hand on his shoulder. "Oh Alec, I'm so sorry."

The sincerity in her voice made Alec shrug, trying to disguise the threat of tears burning behind his eyes, but he refused to give in to them. "I'm fine, Bec."

There was a pause as Beka looked around the apartment, probably noting the uncharacteristic sloppiness and signs of neglect. "You can't stay in your apartment forever," she said matter-of-factly. "Dad had a feeling you were going to miss work tonight, so he gave you a couple of days off and got Colbie to cover for you. But only to get back on your feet, you get what I mean?"

"I know." Alec didn't budge as Beka crawled onto the couch, nice and snug beside him. Despite his desire for complete isolation, it was rather nice to feel human warmth next to him, and for the first time, he felt safe in the knowledge that there were people out there who cared deeply for him. So what if Seregil was gone?

"No, you don't." But Beka was smiling at him. He couldn't help but be fascinated by the galaxies of freckles scattered across her fair cheeks. "But I'll be here till you do."

* * *

By the third day, Alec was finally done feeling sorry for himself and ready to face the world at large again. This was not as bad as when his father had passed away; Alec had mourned for weeks and weeks. But Beka's insistent chatter and hilariously burnt food was making Alec feel better, and he started craving for food that didn't look like it was cooked in a nuclear reactor. Beka had a lot of strong points, bless her, but cooking wasn't one of them, and Alec couldn't help pitying poor Nyal for having to endure a lifetime of her culinary efforts.

Alec was even in the mood to pick up his phone and go through the missed calls and messages he had received. A lot of them were initially from Beka and Micum, of course, who had been concerned about him, and most of the calls had been from Nysander, who had never taken to text messaging in the first place. Alec couldn't be bothered with the numbers he didn't recognise.

The last message was interesting, though. It was from Micum:

'ALEC HOPE U FEEL BTR...IF U CAN, COME TO WORK COS E NEW BAND IS HERE, U SHLD MEET THEM. TRUST ME, U WILL WANT TO!'

Alec replied with a simple 'OK' and thought maybe work would be a good distraction after all. Beka agreed to go in with him, so he got ready for work, and they both set off for Mickey's. The pub was a lot busier than usual, and Micum was relieved to see both of them reporting for work. "It's been a madhouse here," he muttered as Beka and Alec tied on their black aprons. "Colbie is about to cry at the bar and even Isaac had to pitch in and help." Alec could feel the heat suffusing his face at the mention of Isaac's name, remembering the time he had asked him out on a date, and Alec had turned him down. He would definitely be smug once he found out Seregil was gone now.

Alec's hands stilled in the midst of typing his apron. The loss was still too fresh. Beka seemed to notice this, and said, "Dad, you want me behind the bar?"

"Yes, Beka." Micum gave Alec an unreadable look, as though he was assessing him for a job interview. "Alec, you come with me."

Alec followed his boss without question, wanting nothing more than to disappear into the hectic routine of work. As he walked in, he sensed someone's gaze on him, and looked up just in time to catch Isaac's sympathetic smile. He gave him a wan grin in return. Now he felt guilty for even thinking badly of the guy.

As they walked down the dark, narrow corridor leading to Micum's office, Alec could hear loud chatter, and there was cigarette smoke emanating from the office. Curious, he glanced at Micum who only stared straight ahead with a little smile on his face. Alec was mystified, but he didn't really want to ask questions. Maybe it was the new band who was inside Micum's office.

Sure enough, Alec was greeted by the sight of three men laughing in the office and passing a lighter around. They nodded and smiled in acknowledgement as both Micum and Alec stepped into the office. One of them, a tall, thin man with curly hair and a serious face studied Alec with calm eyes. His dark, scruffy beard made him look a lot older than he probably was. Another man with blonde spiky hair was lazing on the couch, and he gestured at Alec. "Hey Micum, this your other kid?" he asked.

"Oh no, this is Alec, he works here. He's not my son, but he might as well be." Micum ruffled his hair, and Alec felt surprisingly touched at Micum's unexpected paternal display. "Alec, this is Silverleaf. Well, most of the band anyway. This is Steb, the drummer..."

"Hi." The spiky-haired man waved at him, and Alec waved back. Now that he had turned his head, Alec could see that there was a scar over Steb's left eye. "Oh, don't let the missing eye throw you off. I drum something fierce."

"Can it, Stebby. Stop showing off." Another band member who was leaning against the wall rolled his eyes, puffing at his cigarette and waving the smoke away. He had eyeliner on, and Alec could see blue streaks in his dark hair.

"_You_ can it, Mirn!"

"Will the two of you stop?" the tall, bearded man said in exasperation, and Alec was surprised at how deep and authoritative his voice sounded. Appearances were definitely deceiving.

"Anyway, Alec," Micum continued without skipping a beat, pointing at the guy who was smoking. "That's Mirn the guitarist." He gave Alec a quick look before pointing to the bearded man. "And this is Thero, the manager, as you already know."

"Oh." Alec was pleasantly surprised. Thero looked nothing like what Alec had imagined him to look like. For some reason, he thought Thero would seem a lot friendlier. The bearded man appeared to be rather surly and unapproachable. Alec headed towards him, holding out his arms for a quick welcome hug. He was sure that Thero's icy demeanour would melt once he remembered Alec from all the emails. "Hey, it's so nice to finally meet you, Thero!"

Thero actually backed away, looking confused. "Um, hi." He looked to Micum for help, and Micum just seemed just as perplexed. "Do I know you?"

Alec blinked. "I'm Alec. Don't you remember? From the emails?" He racked his brain for references that would help Thero to remember. "Sia? Bloc Party?"

However, Thero was only his head apologetically. "Sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mirn pretended to look away, while Steb just kept glancing back and forth at both Thero and Alec like a curious tennis spectator. Alec could feel his face burning even more, utterly embarrassed. Thero didn't even remember him. _So much for their online camaraderie_. He quickly withdrew his arms and backed away, trying not to make more a fool of himself than he already had.

"Dad?" There was a knock on the door, and they turned to see Beka in the doorway. Alec couldn't be more relieved about the distraction. "There's a lady here who says she's with Silverleaf?" She nodded at the men in the office. "Oh, hi, by the way."

"Everyone, this is my oldest, Beka. She's also the head bartender."

"Hi, everyone." Beka lifted a fair eyebrow at her father. "Dad, the woman's waiting outside."

Thero's face visibly brightened. "Yes, let her in please."

Beka moved aside, and a shorter woman with long dark, chestnut hair tied in a braid and the most startling blue eyes Alec had ever seen stepped a little uncertainly into the room. Her face broke out into a smile when she laid eyes on Thero. "Hey, honey. I made it."

Thero welcomed her with a swift embrace and a soft kiss. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he introduced her to Micum and Alec. "This is my wife, Klia."

"Hi." Micum shook her hand, and so did Alec, albeit with a numb smile. So Thero was married. He hadn't mentioned anything about a wife in his emails. Well, if he apparently didn't even remember his emails, why should Alec bother? Disappointment was beginning to be an unwelcome yet familiar friend to him. He might as well roll with the punches and salvage as much of his dignity as he could.

"Well, I should get back to work," Alec said politely. "You guys have a good time, and if you need anything, call me, alright? I'll be on the floor most of the time, or in the kitchen."

"See ya later, Alec." Steb saluted him, while Mirn mimicked it, ducking when a well-aimed cushion came flying at him. "Stop imitating me!"

Alec left the office, their playful bickering echoing in the tiny corridor, along with the soft loving chatter of Thero and Klia.

* * *

"You were doing so well," Beka complained the next day as she sloshed vodka into a row of glasses, then topped each of them up with cranberry juice. Alec watched her swift hands gloomily. "I thought I had worked you over and you were better, and now this jerk Theo-"

"Thero," Alec corrected her.

"Yeah, whatever." Beka waved a hand dismissively at him. "This jerk completely undoes all my work. What the hell, right?"

"It's not his fault, Beka. I mean, it's an honest mistake on my part. I thought we were friends, and obviously he doesn't think so."

"Still, you're not complete strangers." Beka was fuming as she set the drinks on the bar for Colbie to place on a tray and serve to the customers. She shook her head with a sigh. "Sorry, Alec. I'm just so mad on your behalf. God, when are you gonna catch a break?"

"I'm fine. You're overreacting." Alec patted her hand with a smile. "You worry too much about me, Almost-Sister."

Beka broke out into a grin at the nicknames they had for each other. "As I should, Almost-Brother." She glanced at her watch. "Nyal will be coming by later after closing, we're going to that all-night place for something to eat. You wanna come?"

"Nah, I'll just head home." Alec pretended to yawn and stretch, hoping he'd look tired enough for Beka not to persist. He knew that Nyal wouldn't mind his presence, but he also knew how precious their time alone was, and didn't want to be a third wheel. Lately, he was getting sick of that feeing.

"Well, alright. You just tell me if you want to come," Beka said, and Alec nodded, leaning over the bar to give her a quick peck on the cheek. As she picked up a crate of empty bottles and headed over to the kitchen, Alec heard someone beside him clear his throat. "Hi, can I order a drink?"

Alec turned around, about to tell the guy that Beka had gone inside and he'd have to wait a while. Then he stopped. And stared.

The man in front of him _was_ Seregil.

_To be continued_


	14. Chapter 14 Stay With Me

_Author's note: Sorry for the really long delay between updates! I'm both working and studying, so I kind of lost focus there for a while. In the meantime, thank you SO MUCH for the fantastic reviews and emails asking me to update – it means a lot. This is the second last chapter, and the last one will be up by next weekend._

_Many thanks to **Kseniya** who asked whether she could translate this story to Russian. FF won't let me paste a link here, so if you're interested, it is at: diary dot ru slash ~Nightrunners _

_Chapter Fourteen_

Alec felt like rubbing his eyes, but he knew that it wouldn't do any good, and he would just look stupid. He sagged against the counter, openly gawking at the man in front of him. Sure, the dark hair was much shorter, and he looked a bit older. But it was definitely Seregil, down to the warm grey eyes and that familiar crooked grin, dressed in a leather jacket and dark jeans. Then his grin faltered as he noticed Alec was staring at him. And still staring.

"Um, you're Alec, right?" The man who seemed to be Seregil waved at him. "Hello?"

"Oh, sorry." Alec was still beyond stunned. "You're...you're..."

"I'm Rolan, the singer of Silverleaf." The man held out a hand, and Alec looked at it for a while before simply shaking it in a daze. "Micum pointed you out to me. Sorry I wasn't around yesterday when you met the rest of the band, I was buying a motorcycle off an old friend."

"Oh." Alec just kept blinking owlishly at this man called Rolan, still utterly stunned at just how much he resembled Seregil.

"Y'know, you look kind of familiar," Rolan said, before muttering to himself, "But it's probably wishful thinking anyway."

"What?"

"Never mind." Rolan smiled at him, and Alec could feel the sides of his face turning warm in a familiar blush. "I owe you a drink. And a huge apology. I mean, I should have told you earlier."

"Told me about what?"

"Thero. And his emails. He's furious with me." Rolan rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what happened was that Thero got married a month or so ago. During his honeymoon, he asked me to check his business emails and take care of any outstanding stuff, especially if we heard from you guys," he explained.

"Ohhhhhh." It was all starting to make sense to Alec now. A _lot_ of sense. "Wait. So all this while, I was actually talking to you in those emails?"

Rolan nodded with a grin. "Yeah. Come on, would Thero look like he's cool enough to listen to Bloc Party? He probably thought you were talking about, y'know, an _actual _block party."

Alec laughed. _There_ was that familiar sense of humour. "Hey, you wanted a drink, right?"

"Yeah. I was going to buy you one as an apology." Now Rolan was looking closely at Alec, those expressive gray eyes so warm and equally familiar. "You know, I hope this doesn't sound creepy or lame. But we really haven't met before, have we? I feel like I've met you before."

"No." Alec found his smile widening, and a spark of hope flared deep inside his heart. "No, we met this evening for the first time."

* * *

Almost everyone had the same reaction to Rolan: they stared at him with their mouths open, and Beka had even gasped when she met him for the first time. Rolan's resemblance to Seregil was extremely uncanny, but Alec could spot the little differences. For one thing, they had different accents, and they even had different ways of laughing. One thing was the same, though: they both had the same crooked grin, and every time Rolan flashed that at him, Alec had to pinch himself and remember he wasn't in a dream.

As for the band, they had a fantastic reception whenever they took to the stage. They were much better than Birth Of The Cool had ever been, and Micum was extremely pleased with the feedback he was receiving from the patrons. Rolan was also the consummate showman, often drawing cheers and whistles from the crowd, and Alec wasn't oblivious to the overwhelming amount of female (and some male) attention that Rolan was getting. Probably it was a combination of his stage presence, charm and looks, and even Micum had difficulty tearing his eyes away.

For Alec, it had been easier for him to adjust, at least after the initial shock had worn off. For the next few weeks, there were a lot of other distractions: he was taking on more shifts at work, and the new semester was going to start soon. Rolan seemed to be busy too, having to deal with band rehearsals and moving into his new rented apartment. So Alec didn't get to talk to him as much as he would like, but he was getting to know the rest of the band too, especially Thero and Klia, who were actually quite nice.

Alec was clearing some dirty glasses off a table one night after closing when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up hopefully, he tried not to look disappointed when he realised it was Beka. "Hey, hot stuff." She was grinning at him. "Nyal and I are hitting The Supper Club for a few drinks after we close up. You coming?"

"Nah, I'm kind of beat." Alec let his shoulders slump, a clear indication of his exhaustion. "I should be heading home."

"That's too bad." Beka's grin only grew wider. "Because the band is coming with us."

"Oh." Alec pretended to shrug, hiding the little ball of excitement brewing in his stomach. "I suppose I could spare an hour or two, if you insist."

Beka's laugh was so loud that the band looked over from where they were standing on stage, packing their equipment. Alec was rather embarrassed, but it didn't escape his notice how Rolan's gaze lingered on him longer than the rest. Alec quickly looked away, feeling his face heat up in a flush. "Come on, Beka, it's not that funny," he mumbled.

"Oh, I beg to differ." She was still wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "You really couldn't be any more obvious, Alec. Just one mention of Sere- I mean, Rolan, and you're ready to roll over."

"He's not Seregil, okay?" Alec said. "And besides, Rolan's not interested."

"How do you know that?" Beka retorted. "Did he turn you down?"

"No." Alec was slowly getting exasperated. "I can tell, okay? He hasn't asked me out or anything. I don't even know if he's straight or not!"

Beka seemed to be chewing on the inside of her cheek. "Okay, listen," she said. "Here's the thing. Last week, I overheard Rolan asking my dad if he had any HR policy about band members dating the staff."

Alec's eyebrows shot up, but he said nothing. This was news to him.

Beka watched him closely. "Anyway, I think he was referring to you, because Dad nicely told him to back off for a bit because you had just gone through a rough patch. And Sere- Rolan seemed to know this! He said you guys talked about it over email."

Suddenly the whole situation just seemed really funny and weird. Alec wanted to laugh. How odd was it that the guy Alec had been complaining about in his emails was actually Rolan himself? Well, technically it wasn't really Rolan, but it was just semantics, really. Seregil and Rolan. Rolan and Seregil. So similar, but so different.

"You know what, I'm definitely going with you guys," Alec said, much to Beka's delight. "Because I really, really need a drink right now."

* * *

Steb and Mirn were extremely involved in some cutthroat drinking game that involved a lot of silly dares, and Alec had wisely opted out earlier in the game when he had been made to do some kind of Egyptian belly dance on top of the table. He had barely been able to finish the ludicrous dare because he had been laughing so hard, so they had let him off after a few shots. Rolan could really hold his liquor, though, and was currently in the midst of fulfilling his latest dare, which was asking the biggest bouncer in the club for his phone number.

"Here," Rolan said in disgust as he came back, tossing the name card at a hysterical Steb and Mirn while Beka and Nyal watched in interest. "There's your damn phone number. He gave it a little too easily, if you ask me."

"Of course he did," Steb said scornfully. "Look at you! I bet you could get _anyone's_ number in this club, boyo."

"Not _everyone_," Rolan said, and for some reason, his gaze fell on Alec at this point. Then Rolan looked away, clearing his throat. "Time for the next person to get humiliated, please."

Mirn poured everyone a new round of tequila shots, and Alec watched as Beka burrowed comfortably into Nyal's large, warm arms. He had never seen her so happy, and he was glad for her, honestly.

"Oh fuck," Mirn muttered. "The bouncer's staring at our table. I think you may have been a little too charming, Rolan."

"I wasn't!" Rolan seemed uncomfortable, deliberately avoiding the bouncer's line of sight. "Dammit, I knew I laid it on too thick."

Alec felt warm and tipsy, and it didn't take a lot of thought to decide what to do next. "Here." He scooted nearer to Rolan, tipping his chin up before kissing him full on the mouth, tasting the lingering traces of tequila and the tiniest hint of salt. Rolan's eyes were so wide and so grey, and Alec couldn't help remembering that stolen kiss with Seregil in his apartment.

But this time, it felt _right._

"Whoa," Alec heard Steb murmur, while Mirn was clapping enthusiastically. Nyal's eyebrows had shot up in surprise, but Beka was just smiling, all cocooned in his arms, not at all surprised. Rolan was blinking a little, touching his lips thoughtfully. Behind him, Alec could see the bouncer frowning at them before he turned and walked off. Still, it wasn't really the bouncer he cared about now.

"That seemed to work," Mirn said cheerfully, while Steb chuckled. "Good ploy to distract the bouncer, Alec!"

"Geez, you men are dumb," Beka muttered before she got up and squeezed through the throng of people on the dance floor, making her way to the restroom. Alec didn't dare to look at Rolan as he tossed down another shot, but he could sense Rolan's eyes on him, curious and wondering.

"Why did she call me dumb?" Mirn asked, confused, as Steb smacked the back of his head with a grin.

"Because you are, doll." Steb winked at the outraged Mirn before leaning back in his seat.

A very amused Nyal was shaking his head. "You know, you two should put on your own comedy act at Mickey's. I'm sure it'll be a hit."

Steb's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, I bet we would be..."

As Alec listened to the excited chatter, he was more aware than ever that both he and Rolan were silent, and as he stole another glance at Rolan, who was uncharacteristically quiet, he didn't miss the way the corner of Rolan's lips were lifting in a little smile, and Alec couldn't hold back one of his own.

* * *

For the next week, nothing happened. Rolan was polite and friendly to Alec as usual, but it was as though the kiss had never happened. Alec was disappointed, but at the same time, he knew it was crazy to rush into anything. So he remained professional, helping Rolan and the band whenever they needed his assistance, and he tried not to flinch as he watched pretty customers flirting with Rolan. The only thing that kept him going was the fact that Rolan had asked Micum about the HR policy regarding dating the staff. As far as Alec knew, Micum didn't really have any policy other than making sure his bar didn't burn down.

When Alec had finished working the early shift one night, he watched as the band finished their set, then went outside for a smoke. Rolan seemed to be looking around for someone, but he eventually gave up, looking crestfallen as he stepped outside. Alec was both curious and worried. Maybe Rolan had a date.

Frowning to himself, Alec barely managed a smile for Thero and Klia who walked past and greeted him, and now he only felt like going home and burying his face in a tub of ice-cream. If the sports center was still open, he would have liked to get in some archery, but unfortunately, it was already eight o'clock.

He stepped out into the windy night, but his breath was taken away by the sight of Rolan leaning against his motorcycle, his leather jacket draped over one shoulder as he squinted down at his cell phone. When he spotted Alec, his smile was radiant. "There you are!"

Alec blinked. "You were looking for me?"

"Yeah, I heard from Beka you had an early shift today." Rolan lifted his shoulder in an elegant shrug. "Thought you could suggest a good place for a late dinner? And I really wanted to see the city, so I thought it would be cool to see it by bike. But unless you don't want to go, then-"

"Rolan." Alec was smiling so widely that his cheeks hurt. "That sounds great."

"Really?" There was that crooked grin again. "Awesome."

As Alec took the helmet Rolan offered him and put it on, it occurred to him that Seregil would have never used the word 'awesome', and for some reason that made him feel even better, and as he climbed onto the bike behind Rolan and wrapped his arms around that firm waist, he thought that things might be looking up for him after all.

_To be continued_


End file.
